On 19 January, Christian peace activist Chris Cole was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment by Westminster central magistrates court for non-payment of a fine following a protest at the DSEi arms fair in September 2009. Chris spraypainted “Build Peace Not War Machines” and “Stop this Bloody Business” across the entrance to the QEII conference centre in central London, where the high-level “UK defence conference” was being held.
Defending himself in court, Chris, coordinator of the Christian peace group Fig Tree, said: “The arms industry is pushing military solutions to human security threats that in reality need political and humanitarian responses not more weaponry. We need to address underlying causes of injustice and not promote the ideology of ‘might is right’.”
At the original trial, in October 2009, Chris was found guilty and ordered to pay £1,545.00 in compensation and £350 in court costs. This is Chris’ fifth imprisonment for nonviolent civil disobedience.
Topics: Prison