UK: Green Anarchists go to trial
01 July 1997
Four editors of the radical green magazine Green Anarchist are set to be tried for "conspiracy to incite persons unknown to commit criminal damage" (see Statewatch, vol 7 no 2). The only concrete evidence against the defendants in what has become known as the Gandalf case is that they listed the activities of direct action groups such as the Animal Liberation Front or Earth First.
One of the original defendants, Green Anarchist press officer Robin Webb, has already had his case thrown out. According to the Sunday Independent the magistrate hearing the case described the prosecution conduct as "oppressive and an abuse of process".
Civil liberties and activist groups are already gathering in defence of the defendants. SchNews, the bulletin of the Brighton-based Justice? group, points out that "according to the committal even just reporting the facts about animal liberation or eco-defence action constitutes incitement...under this we are up against a very broad sweeping definition and the implications of this are going to be used against the entire radical press ...therefore this is not just a problem for Green Anarchist alone". John Wadham of the civil liberties watchdog Liberty agrees, saying to the Sunday Independent: "we will be monitoring the trial closely because the use of conspiracy and incitement is something that has concerned Liberty for many years."
The police and security services will also be taking a close interest in the outcome of the trial. Operation Washington, a six year police campaign targeting animal rights and green activists which launched 55 raids during the cause of 1995-6, culminates in the trial of these five. MI5 also appear to be involved, judging by the issuing of Public Interest Immunity (PII) orders, notoriously used and abused in the Matrix-Churchill "arms-to-Iraq" trial. The defendants believe that they were infiltrated by an agent-provocateur who encouraged them to write the articles which directly led to their being on trial. The issuing of PII orders would appear to give their story some weight.
The trial begins on August 26 at Portsmouth crown court. There are demonstrations being planned in conjunction with the trial. For further information contact: Green Anarchist BM1715 London WC1N 3XX.
SchNews, 18.8.97; Independent on Sunday, 10.8.97.