Yusef Asad was unjustly sentenced to two and a half years in Prison for defending himself from racists attacking a Palestine March in Cardiff in July 2014. He received the heaviest sentence despite only responding as racists at a pub started the violence throwing bottles, glasses and chairs at the demonstrators, who included young families.
Yusef welcomes letters of support.
Yusef Asad
A4424DD
HUNTERCOMBE PRISON
NUFFIELD
HENLEY-ON-THAMES
OXFORDSHIRE
RG05SB
The Red and Black Umbrella will host a screening of Roadmap to Apartheid (2012).
This is part of a week of events to mark the coming spring. Full list of events that are happening:
We hope to see you there as we celebrate, learn from and build together connecting the environment, social justice and other struggles.
More info at: http://redandblackumbrella.squat.net
On the 6th of January 2015 two local people stood trial, accused of disrupting last year’s Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) Arms Fair, now an annual occurrence in Cardiff.
The defendants were accused of throwing red paint at delegates entering the fair, damaging their luxury goods worth hundreds of hundreds of pounds. They were charged with Criminal Damage and breach of s.4A of the Public Order Act (“Causing harassment, alarm or distress with intent”). They were advised that the prosecution would be seeking custodial sentences.
The defendants sought to run separate, distinct defenses. The first was to put forward a factual defense that the police had grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground for no reason. The second defendant contended that they had been acting out of necessity in an attempt to prevent war crimes based on the arms fair’s various links to Israel and the horrific attacks against Gaza that took place over the summer, in the context of the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people.
Before the trial started some 30 supporters gathered outside Cardiff Magistrates court for a solidarity demonstration with the two defendants. Several groups came out to support, including Food not Bombs Cardiff, Anarchist Action Network, Afed Bristol, Cor Cochion Caerdydd, Bristol Defendant Solidarity, Bristol Against the Arms Trade, disarmUWE as well as South Wales Anarchists.
Outside Cardiff Magistrates Court before the Trial
Throughout the day defendants and their supporters were followed and surveiled by Police Liaison Officers, who largely failed in their documented intelligence gathering role since all attendees wisely declined to engage with them from the outset.
Court proceedings were delayed for hours as there was no prosecutor – the Crown Prosecution Service was called and the prosecutor who had been appointed to the case said he knew nothing about it. A replacement prosecutor was then speeded to the court.
As the arms dealers and lay prosecution witnesses had also failed to turn up, the prosecution sought to amend the charge to Criminal Damage of the arresting officer’s uniform. One of the police witnesses had claimed paint damage to his uniform – which surely, if it had occurred, would have been the result of manhandling and grabbing the defendants when they were arrested. The District Judge said that this was “moving the goalposts” considerably and that Criminal Damage by paint transfer during an arrest when the police grabbed the defendants would be “ludicrous”.
After lunch the CPS informed us that it would drop all charges. The many supporters in the public gallery broke out into applause and the judge scolded them saying “this is NOT a football stadium!”.
Outside Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
The DPRTE arms fair will be returning to Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on the 8th of March 2016. To flog their machines of torture and death. The people of Cardiff and beyond stand ready to oppose them and we ask that you will join us.
For more info on how to get involved with the campaign against DPRTE arms fair, email: stopnatocymru@riseup.net
6th Jan 2015
Time: 9:15am
Date: Tuesday 6th January 2015
Location: Cardiff Magistrates Court
Address: Fitzalan Road, Cardiff CF24 0RZ
Court solidarity demonstration to support two much-loved people who are facing excessively harsh charges for allegedly seeking to disrupt the DPRTE arms fair in Cardiff last year. They stand accused of damaging the luxury goods of arms dealers and organisers with childrens play paint.
There will be a short solidarity demonstration outside the court from 9:15am on Tuesday 6th January 2015. Antimilitarist banners and well-wishers welcome. Afterwards some of us will be supporting the defendants from the public gallery.
URGENT WITNESS APPEAL:
***********************
Were you present at the protest against DPRTE Arms Fair at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in October 2014? Even if you think you didn’t see anything you may be able to provide useful defence evidence as to the nature of the day.
If you think you may be able to help please email: bristoldefendantsolidarity@riseup.net
At 7.30 am on the 8th of August, supporters of the Palestinian people protested the BBC’s bias coverage of recent events by painting slogans on the corporation’s building in Roath Lock .
On arrival of police one the graffiti artists got away, the other was arrested is now on bail, charged with criminal damage. The individual received harsh bail conditions including a ban form Cardiff, where she works.
A video of the action can be seen here:
The defendant is due to appear in Cardiff Magistrates Court on the 27th of August. This a call out for all to come and support her and this action against the BBC which has shown which side they are on when reporting on the Palestinian issue: http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/amena-saleem/bbc-trying-shore-support-israels-assault-gaza
Come to Cardiff Magistrates court at 9.30 am with Palestinian and Anarchist banners, then at 10 am we will support the defendant in court.
Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Indymedia Wales No Borders South Wales Radical Wales Lib Com Wales Earth First! Wales Cardiff ABC
South Wales Anarchists 