Dear Friends, on Monday 19th August, Graeme Dunstan will be going to jury trial in Rockhampton, for his role in helping Bryan Law disarm a Tiger attack helicopter.
Bryan tragically succumbed to poor health and died of a heart attack in Rockhampton in March.
The amazing disarmament action with Bryan riding a tricycle across the tarmac can be viewed on
http://www.rockytigerploughshares.com.au/It was filmed as it happened by a news photographer. It is 4 minutes long with additions by Bryan Law
This action can surely be juxtaposed with the more famous footage of a US attack helicopter in Iraq released by Bradley Manning and distributed by Wikileaks.
I am sure most of you will have seen it already. Might be good (not in the fun sense) to see it again : http://collateralmurder.com/Ethan McCord who got into trouble for saving the children nearly killed in this video said this happened every day in Iraq.
Bryan Law and Graeme Dunstan made sure at least one attack helicopter would not be doing anything like hits for a while.
Graeme faces the real possibility of a lengthy jail term.A number of us are going to Rockhampton to do what we can to support Graeme and spread the message.
If you cannot make it to ROckhampton but would like to support Graeme financially you can make an online deposit to:
Credit Union Australia
BSB: 814282
Acc.No. 10226245You can also learn more or contact Graeme via his website: http://peacebus.com/
Much peace to you.
Jim
War on Trial as Ploughshares receives Suspended Sentence
Graeme Dunstan, Simon Moyle & Sean O’Reilly outside Rockhampton courthouse
Graeme Dunstan (71) of the Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshares was found guilty of wilful damage to a Tiger Attack helicopter and given a two year suspended sentence on a three year good behaviour bond. This included $2000 reconnaissance and 162K in reparations however payment was not expected given Mr Dunstan’s financial circumstances.
Judge Samios stated that the costs were not insignificant and he would have to take this into account when sentencing Mr Dunstan. The Tiger helicopter was $45 million and rendered inoperable for a period of 4 months. Mr Dunstan responded that four months out of action was a blessing to the world.
The Prosecution made submissions of a custodial sentence because of Mr Dunstan’s lack of remorse but also as a personal and general deterrent: to send a message to like-minded members of the community that deliberate acts of vandalism to government property would not be tolerated.
Mr Dunstan responded, “It was an act of civil disobedience and I am not ashamed.”
War on Trial as Ploughshares receives Suspended Sentence
Graeme Dunstan (71) of the Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshares was found guilty of wilful damage to a Tiger Attack helicopter and given a two year suspended sentence on a three year good behaviour bond. This included $2000 reconnaissance and 162K in reparations however payment was not expected given Mr Dunstan’s financial circumstances.
Judge Samios stated that the costs were not insignificant and he would have to take this into account when sentencing Mr Dunstan. The Tiger helicopter was $45 million and rendered inoperable for a period of 4 months. Mr Dunstan responded that four months out of action was a blessing to the world.
The Prosecution made submissions of a custodial sentence because of Mr Dunstan’s lack of remorse but also as a personal and general deterrent: to send a message to like-minded members of the community that deliberate acts of vandalism to government property would not be tolerated.
Mr Dunstan responded, “It was an act of civil disobedience and I am not ashamed.”
“The Tiger Helicopter is, in the Australian Army’s own words “an attack helicopter.” (http://www.army.gov.au/Our-work/Equipment-and-clothing/Aviation/ARH-Tiger) “Ploughshares actions are acts of disarmament, transforming machines that kill in to objects that cannot kill.”
Judge Samios whilst imposing a custodial sentence suspended it immediately.
Jury deliberations went into the next day after a unanimous decision was unable to be reached with two of the ten jurors unconvinced of Mr Dunstan’s guilt. A guilty verdict was announced when court reconvened this morning.
Mr Dunstan has claimed victory stating, “We were successful in putting war on the trial.”
The jury had been shown footage released by Bradley Manning of a US helicopter killing civilians in Iraq. A closed military court has just demoted Mr Manning and sentenced him to 35 years and dishonourable discharge for releasing the footage – now known as the “Collateral Murder” footage, which clearly exposes war crimes committed by the US military. Despite the severity of the military court sentencing, Mr Manning has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his actions. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-27/bradley-manning-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize/3855944)
The jury viewed the footage, and heard related testimony from Australian peace activist Donna Mulhearn who had traveled to Iraq as a “Human Shield” in 2003. Reverend Simon Moyle also gave testimony about both Christian pacifism and the Ploughshare movement and his personal experiences in Afghanistan.
Background: Mr Dunstan assisted the now deceased Bryan Law who rode a large red tricycle across the Rockhampton airport tarmac and disabled an Australian Army Tiger Attack Reconnaissance Helicopter in a creative act of disarmament. Mr Law used a garden mattock to deliver a blow to the military helicopter. The action was inspired by the biblical prophecy of ‘Beating Swords into Ploughshares’ meaning taking action to convert killing machines such as the Tiger helicopter into ploughshares or agricultural tools that promote life.
Photos available on request and on: http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com
Further information
Graeme Dunstan 0407 951 688
http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/ploughshares-trial/FaceBook
eventhttp://www.facebook.com/events/169657596540366/191435557695903/?notif_t=plan_mall_activityAction
footagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-0Du_F1P1w
Collateral Murder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0Downloadable
flyer: http://tiny.cc/vy4v1w
Over the past week Just Peace has organised activities you might like to know about.
The trial at Rockhampton of Graeme Dunstan Peace Activist who assisted in the Ploughshare action to damage a military helicopter is now concluded. Graeme was found guilty of damaging Commonwealth property at Rockhampton airport in 2011 and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended immediately, and placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.
The vigil we organised in the city on tuesday was well worth doing- we were colourful and visible and handed out 300 fliers outlining the case.
Just Peace for Palestine stall in the city- we hold these each month with a petition calling on our governement to take action on the UN report of detention of Palestinian children in military prisons and tried in military courts. Shocking.
Just Peace is a member of the Australian Palestine Advocay Network. APAN is calling on people who support human rights for Palestinians to take their concerns to their political representative in the lead up to the election.
Vince Emanuele from the US Iraq Veterans against war recently sent through a petition calling for a human rights hearing into the Iraq War.
See below the links to Iraq war petition and I support Palestine and I Vote
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5966/p/salsa/web/tellafriend/public/?tell_a_friend_KEY=9724
https://apan.good.do/voteforpalestine/contact-your-local-candidates/
In Peace
Annette
Rockhampton jury reaches verdict in Tiger Helicopter trial
After three days of hearings and deliberation, a Rockhampton jury has found Graeme Dunstan guilty of wilful damage to Commonwealth property. Sentencing is expected to take place at 2:30pm this afternoon.
After two days of hearings and a morning of summary arguments, the jury could not reach a unanimous decision, with two of the ten jurors unconvinced of Mr. Dunstan’s guilt. The jury then reviewed evidence presented during the trial and reconvened to later bring forth a unanimous guilty verdict this morning.
Despite the guilty verdict, Mr.Dunstan remains positive stating “We were successful in putting war on trial.”
Sentencing is expected to take place at 2:30pm this afternoon. Judge Nick Samios has indicated that a custodial sentence is unlikely…. Read more at http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/
MEDIA UPDATE – Jury presently hung (sic) in Australian trial where “Collateral Murder” footage released by Bradley Manning was screened to the jury.
The jury has has been sent home for the evening in the trial of Graeme Dunstan the surviving member of the Ploughshares group that disabled a helicopter gunship at the biannual joint U.S./ Australian Talisman Sabre military exercise in 2011.
Dunstan’ss co-defendant Bryan Law died weeks before the trial.
The judge allowed the collateral murder footage, released by Manning to WikiLeaks in 2010, into evidence. The jury viewed the footage, and heard related testimony from Australian peace activist Donna Mulhearn who had traveled to Iraq as a “Human Shield” in 2003.
Footage of the “Helicopter Gunship Ploughshares” action can be seen in this support video YOUTUBE (30 secs) – Standby Graeme Dunstan on Trial for Disarming Helicopter Gunship
[youtube=http://youtu.be/uw9deHWIQtw]
PHOTO outside Rockhampton Ploughshares Trial – Assange, Manning, Greenwald & others in jeopardy for exposing & resisting the war remembered, http://tinyurl.com/mmdbef7
PRESS CONTACT in Rockhampton
Simon Moyle mobile/cell ph. no. 0402 857 915
Day two of Graeme Dunstan’s ploughshares trial in Rockhampton. The day began with the final two prosecution witnesses, then the defence’s case began.
It opened with Graeme Dunstan himself taking the witness stand. He told of his own experiences in the military and his long commitment to peace activism. He then talked about the Talisman Sabre exercises, the US empire and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Despite objections from the prosecution, the defence was allowed to go into the details of the overseas wars, the “context that makes the facts”.
The other two defence witnesses were allowed to give testimony despite further objections from the prosecution. Reverend Simon Moyle spoke of his experiences in war-affected Afghanistan and the history of the Ploughshares movement.
Donna Mulhearn also spoke of firsthand experiences in a warzone, telling of her time in Iraq where Australian forces decimated cities, and helicopters not just killed thousands of civilians, but inspired constant fear just from their sound. “Helicopters,” she said “are not neutral pieces of equipment.”
The other remarkable moment was when, again despite prosecution objections, the magistrate allowed the “Collateral Murder” video to be shown as evidence. The video, leaked by Bradley Manning, depicts a US Apache helicopter (with the same weapon capabilities as the Euro Tiger helicopter damaged at Rockhampton) gunning down 11 civilians and wounding two children. “Haha look at those dead bastards” says a soldier in one of the more chilling parts of the video.
The video wasn’t even allowed as evidence in Bradley Manning’s trial, so it was a little victory in what was a great day for the defence. Again the courtroom and the footpath in front of the court were packed with supporters, the case was publicised around the world, support actions were staged in Brisbane and Melbourne, and the witnesses spoke powerfully.
Both parties will make their closing statements tomorrow morning, after that the jury will give their verdict.
Media Release 19 August 2013
Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshare Trial begins Monday 19th August
Peace activists will be gathering in Rockhampton to support Graeme Dunstan when he appears for the beginning of the Tiger Ploughshare trial
9am Procession from ‘Havachat’ 20 East St to Rockhampton District Court
10am Peace Vigil outside Rockhampton District Court
Solidarity rallies will also be held by peace activists in Brisbane and London. The trial is expected to take three days.
Long time peace activist, Graeme Dunstan (71) of Peacebus.com, is charged with wilful damage of Commonwealth property, namely an Australian Army “Tiger” Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter which was disabled by a blow from a garden mattock during the 2011 Talisman Saber Military Exercises.
WIN Tv news footage of the event shows Bryan Law, dressed in a black suit and a Bob Katter hat, riding a tricycle across the Rockhampton Airport tarmac and striking the blow.
Graeme Dunstan drove Mr Law to the airport and has been charged as a co offender for his support role in the disarmament action. Mr Law died last Easter.
Mr Dunstan is pleading not guilty and is defending himself with the assistance of Brisbane based nurse, Sean O’Reilly, as a “friend in court”.
The action is part of the ploughshare tradition – a movement that began in the United States – and refers to the Biblical prophecy of Isaiah (2:4) about a coming time when “nation will not rise up against nation, spears would be beaten into pruning hooks, swords into ploughshares and we would study war no more”.
There have been more than 80 such actions since 1980, with three common elements:
1. being absolutely nonviolent towards people;
2. to remain and take responsibility for the action; and
3. to make some attempt to disarm a weapon and begin its transformation into something useful.
The Tiger is similar in design and identical in function to the Apache helicopter used by the US Army to gun down innocents in the Collateral Murder footage leaked by Bradley Manning and Julian Assange and which has had in excess of 14 million viewers on YouTube.
Dunstan will be arguing that the strike was an act of conscience to prevent the deployment of these helicopters to Afghanistan and the horror they would cause.
Further information
Graeme Dunstan 0407 951 688 or
Treena Lenthall 0447 851 858
http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/ploughshares-trial/
FaceBook event http://www.facebook.com/events/169657596540366/191435557695903/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity
Action footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-0Du_F1P1w
Downloadable flyer: http://tiny.cc/vy4v1w
[youtube=http://youtu.be/uw9deHWIQtw]