Resisting war-crimes is not a crime Support the anti-Raytheon activists

Nine women members of the Derry Anti-War Coalition face trial
for occupying Raytheon’s offices in Derry during Israel’s assault on Gaza in January 2009.

The Goldstone report has confirmed that
war-crimes were committed by Israel in targetting defenceless civilians
during the attack on Gaza. Raytheon
Systems Ltd has a “special relationship” with the Israeli State, and Raytheon facilitated Israel’s stockpiling of weapons in preparation for the assault
on Gaza. We are asking for your support to defend
these protestors and to insist that trying to prevent a war-crime is a
legitimate action.

On 12th January 2009, nine women - Roisin Barton, Roisin
Bryce, Betty Doherty, Goretti Horgan, Diana King, Jackie McKenna, Sharon
Meenan, Helen Reynolds and Julia Torrojo -  went into the building were
Raytheon Systems Ltd have their premises in Derry. 

This was the third time members of Derry Anti-War Coalition
had gone into Raytheon.  The first was in 2003.  Then in 2006, during the
Israeli assault on Lebanon, nine men successfully disabled the server at
Raytheon.  They were charged under the Criminal Damages Act.  After a lengthy
trial, all of them were acquitted, having proven that they acted to prevent a
greater crime.

The women acted with similar determination.  We didn’t go to
Raytheon simply to protest against the war on Gaza or to get media coverage. 
We had one aim – to get to the company’s mainframe computer and disable it. 

Executives from Raytheon admitted during the trial of the
men that they have a ‘one company’ policy, so if the mainframe goes down in Derry, it will have a knock on effect on the rest of the company.  If our actions could
delay even one Raytheon bomb being dropped on Gaza, save one life, then it was
our responsibility and legal duty to do anything in our power to prevent that
crime.

We believed, and still believe, that the assault on the
people of Gaza by the Israeli Defence Forces, which began on 27th December
2008, was a war crime.  We had seen this crime repeated and repeated, night
after night, on TV.  Israel ignored the worldwide appeals and protests for it
to stop.  

There was no military intervention by the UN or by any state
to protect the Palestinian people.  By 12th January 2009, hundreds of innocent
men, women and children had been murdered, thousands injured and tens of
thousands made homeless, and there was no way of knowing when the Israeli
Government would decide to end this slaughter.

Raytheon Systems Ltd has a “special relationship” with the Israeli State, and Raytheon facilitated Israel’s stockpiling of weapons in preparation for the
assault on Gaza.  Many of the bombs being dropped on the Palestinians were made
and supplied by Raytheon Systems Ltd. 

Unfortunately we were unable to gain access to Raytheon’s
part of the building because of their enhanced security since the action in
2006.  We refused to leave the building until we were assured by the PSNI that
they would investigate our allegations of complicity in war crimes against
Raytheon.  They allowed us to present our evidence to them a few days later
but, as expected, nothing came of this.

As a result of this action, we are facing trial on 4th May
2010 at Belfast High Court. All of us are charged with burglary with intent to
commit unlawful damage, two of us with unlawfully damaging a security keypad to
the cost of £437, two with assaulting a security guard and one with kicking a steel
door.  We have pleaded not guilty to all of the charges put to us.

The heavy handed tactics of the PSNI at the demonstration in
support of our action resulted in five other people facing charges along on 4th
May, including assault, obstruction, and criminal damage.  However, the DPP
have decided that a PSNI constable will not face charges of assaulting a
pregnant woman during the same ‘scuffle’.

We
are pleased to report that as of 28th February 2010 Raytheon have pulled out of
Derry. The sustained campaign by anti-war activists  won. It is a major
victory for peace activists throughout Ireland and Britain.