Ploughshares activist sentenced to six months

<*> On 7 April, British ploughshares activist Chris Cole was declared guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to six months imprisonment, after breaking an injunction banning him from protesting against British Aerospace (BAe) arms sales to Indonesia.

BAe's barrister cited three breaches of the injunction: two cases of trespass on BAe property, and the writing of a "Call to Action" for the Stevenage trespass, and--somewhat confusingly--went on to say that "Mr Cole seeks imprisonment as a means of furthering the aims of his cause. And he must be stopped."

Chris happily admitted his actions, quoting Bonhoeffer's statement that the task of christians is "not only to bind up the victims beneath the wheel, but also to put a spoke in that wheel". Chris went on to say: "I honestly cannot see how I can put a spoke in the wheel that is BAe ... by staying outside their fence." The judge said he accepted Chris's sincerity, but found him guilty of contempt.

In 1993 BAe signed a deal to supply 24 Hawk fighter aircraft to Indonesia. Hawks have recently been used for bombing raids as part of Indonesia's genocidal occupation of East Timor. The Stop the Hawks/No Arms to Indonesia campaign is organising a protest outside the BAe AGM in London on 4 May and a national day of action on 10 June.

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Ploughshares Support Network, Box X, 111 Magdalen Rd, Oxford OX4 (tel +44 1865 793 820)
Stop the Hawks, c/o 88 Islington High Street, London N1 8EG (tel +44 171 561 1236)
Messages of support to: Chris Cole PB0538, HMP Pentonville, Caledonian Road, London N7 8TT