Marcus jailed

IssueSeptember 2007
News by Milan Rai , Emily Johns

On 14 August, Marcus Armstrong, a 46-year-old anti-war protester who entered the cockpit of a US Air Force plane at Prestwick Airport, Scotland, a year ago was imprisoned for 28 days for “entering a restricted zone” and “trespassing” in a military aircraft.

Weapons inspectors

Marcus entered Prestwick with seven other Trident Ploughshares “weapons inspectors” to investigate claims that the airport was being used to refuel US aircraft supplying arms for the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

He was fined £750, but refused to pay and was therefore jailed.

The seven other TP “weapons inspectors” had their charges dropped for lack of evidence. Evidence as to Israeli war crimes was heard from Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University.