Two English Catholic Workers sentenced for action at Northwood Military Base - UK Indymedia

March 20, 2009

UK Indymedia

 

Catholic Workers sentenced for action at Northwood Military Base

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/03/424624.html

 

Two Catholic Workers, Susan Clarkson and Martin Newell, were convicted

of "criminal damage" at Watford Magistrates Court yesterday morning

(Thursday March 19th) following an act of witness to mark the Catholic

'Feast of the Holy Innocents' in December 2008 at Northwood Military

Headquarters in North West London.

 

Clarkson and Newell pled "not guilty" and defended themselves on

legal, moral and religious grounds. Despite the prosecution admitting

that no-one saw the pair entering the base, they agreed that they had

cut through the perimeter fence to make the gateway and entered the

base to pray for peace. They were found guilty of 'criminal damage'

and ordered to pay fines and costs of £920 each. They will both refuse

to pay, risking prison sentences.

 

In court, they stated that they had cut open the fence to make a

“gateway for peace”, "to prepare a way for the Lord" and to open up

public access to this highly secretive, mostly underground, base where

a billion pound building project is going on.

 

Susan Clarkson and Martin Newell were arrested on December 29, 2008

after being inside the base for over half an hour. They had spent

another half hour cutting the gateway into the base, leaving signs

showing victims of aerial bombing in Afghanistan which Northwood would

have been involved in through military planning, co-ordination and

relaying communications. They also hung signs saying “Stop Bombing

Afghanistan”, “Gateway for Peace” and “Make a Way for the Lord”. Other

members of Catholic Worker communities held vigil at the front

entrance reading the names of British and Afghani war dead. During the

arrests, sirens and public address messages from within the base could

be heard announcing "Operation Round Up" and a return of all staff to

buildings as the base's security response was put in place.

 

Northwood Military Headquarters is the command centre for all British

forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.  It is a 43 acre site in suburban

London accommodating over 2,000 military and civilian personnel.  Just

before Christmas two British soldiers had committed suicide in Basra

while the 136th British soldier to die in Afghanistan was killed on

Christmas Eve.  The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission

estimates over 750 Afghani civilians have been killed by Western

forces in 2008.

 

The anti-war direct action followed a weekend of reflection and prayer

for the Catholic "Feast of the Holy Innocents", commemorating the

massacre of the children by King Herod who saw the birth of Christ as

a threat to his power.

 

Susan and Martin's STATEMENT OF FAITH follows...

 

We come here today from Catholic Worker communities to witness at

Northwood on behalf of all the victims of war. We come here to pray,

repent and create.

 

We pray particularly for all those who have died in the war in

Afghanistan over the past year, especially those connected to

Northwood Headquarters.  This includes all military and civilian

victims, women, men but especially the children.  On 28 December the

Catholic church commemorates the murder of the children by King Herod

in his search to destroy the baby Jesus who Herod believed threatened

his empire.

 

We repent of our complicity in this imperial warmaking of our

government and pray to be people committed to nonviolent ways of

solving conflict.  We invite all whom we meet today to reflect on this

power of nonviolence.

 

In this place, where the military planning of the joint forces of the

United Kingdom takes place veiled in secrecy and fear based security,

we are here to create a new citizen's gateway through which we enter

to pray and through which we invite our fellow citizens to enter and

see what is done in our name.  We make our own the words of the Bible

"Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight"

 

By coming here today we are trying to put into practice the words of

Jesus whom we follow: Love your enemies and do good for those who

persecute you" which are the ways to peace.

 

We ask you to join us in entering this gateway to peace.

 

Susan Clarkson and Martin Newell cp

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*Donations to support those arrested as they travel through the court

and penal system should be sent to "London Catholic Worker" at 14 Deal

Street, London E1 5AH. Cheques can be made out to “Catholic Worker Farmhouse”

 

For more information, contact:

Catholic Worker Farmhouse,

Lynsters Farm,

Old Uxbridge Road,

West Hyde,

Herts WD3 9XJ.

 

TEL: 01923 777 201

 

or

 

The London CW

E-mail: ondoncatholicworker@yahoo.co.uk

 

Web Page: http://londoncatholicworker.org/