posted on Mar, 17 2010 @ 05:51 PM
BREAKING: New Zealand anti-Echelon activists found NOT GUILTY!
This is a good piece of news for the common people of the world!
Three activists who admitted breaking into a Government spy base near Blenheim and slashing an inflatable plastic dome covering a satellite dish,
have walked free.
Their defense – that they mounted the attack to prevent others suffering – has been successfully used by Iraq-war protesters overseas, but is
thought to be a New Zealand first.
Schoolteacher Adrian Leason, 45, Dominican friar Peter Murnane, 69, and farmer Sam Land, 26, were charged with burglary and wilful damage at the
Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) facility.
The prosecution said the trio cut their way through fences into the base on April 30, 2008, then slashed the plastic cover over a satellite dish with
sickles.
The trio readily admitted attacking the base, but said they were driven by a belief that the satellite caused human suffering and their actions to
shut it down, if only temporarily, were lawful.
A jury in the Wellington District Court took only two hours to acquit them of all charges yesterday.
Source
Here's a group of common citizens that decided to do something tangible instead of just sitting around talking about it. Then, instead of accepting
some kind of deal, they went to court and had the opportunity to tell the jury and the world all about the world-wide Echelon Spy facilities, the
danger it poses to the freedom of common people, and why they did what they did. The jury, being made of common people also, very quickly realized
the "goodness" of what these three did and rewarded them with a free pass! This was also all over the New Zealand newspapers and television news as
well, so it was not hidden or buried from the average New Zealander.
In a world where the common person is increasingly striped of true freedom, oppressed and hung out to dry, these activists showed that it is possible
to let governments know that some things are just not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Spying on the private communications of everyone is one
of those things that goes beyond what governments should be doing. Each of the major western countries has laws against unwarranted government
intrusion into the private lives of individuals, so instead of obeying those laws, the governments found a way around them... at least in their minds
they did. Introducing Echelon...
What is Echelon?
This world CAN be a better place only if the people hold the governments accountable and prevent them from crossing the line. It is fine for them to
govern, but they must do it well, and they must do it without violating the freedoms, privacy and rights of those who operate as good citizens.
We must never forget that the basic tenet of democracy and a republic form of government is that the citizens are governed by consent and how the
country operates is primarily determined by the people through their elected officials. Human nature being what it is, however, it is a fact that
governments will do things their own way if the people do not hold them accountable with proper modes of pressure and correction. That is just how it
is.
[edit on 17-3-2010 by downisreallyup]