Solidarity with Anti-War Resistance in the U.S.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday December 13, 2004 14:18 by Steve

A Victory For Conscience and International Law:

4 Peace activists found not guilty of criminal
trespass at Alliant Tech, manufacturer of cluster
bombs and depleted uranium weapons
A Victory for Conscience and International Law

A jury of six women returned a verdict of “not guilty”
in the trial of 4 Christian peacemakers in Minneapolis
today. John and Marie Braun, Carol Masters, and Steve
Clemens were charged with criminal trespass on July
21, 2004 when they attempted to enter the corporate
headquarters of Alliant TechSystems in Edina, MN. The
four were attempting to deliver a letter and documents
to corporate officers concerning “Employee Liabilities
of Weapons Manufacturers Under International Law.”
After requesting to meet with one of four corporate
officers, the four were arrested after they refused to
leave the premises without at least an appointment to
meet with them at a future date.

If convicted, the defendants could have faced up to 90
days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. They chose
to request a jury trial instead of accepting an offer
to plead guilty in exchange for “community service”.
Speaking to a jury, they felt, can help spread the
word about International Law and the realities of
these weapons.

The trial, presided over by Judge Regina M. Chu,
focused on a provision in the MN trespass law which
provides for “a claim of right”. The defendants
successfully argued that it was reasonable for them to
be on the property of this weapons manufacturer
because of treaties signed by the United States.
Quoting Article VI of the US Constitution where
International Treaties signed by our government are
identified as “the supreme law of the land”, the
defendants then offered into evidence excerpts from
the Hague and Geneva Conventions, the CCW Treaty, and
the Nuremberg Principles. The Judge also permitted
inclusion of articles the defendants had read prior to
their nonviolent action that influenced their intent
that day.

All four defendants testified in a moving fashion,
bringing tears to some eyes in the courtroom. The
International Law offered into evidence prohibits the
manufacture, sale, or use of weapons which are
indiscriminate. Those are weapons which continue to
kill after a war has ended, those that aren’t limited
to the field of battle, those causing unnecessary
suffering and are inhumane, and those which cause
long-lasting damage to the natural environment. The
four testified that Alliant TechSystems is the primary
manufacturer of anti-personnel landmines, cluster
bombs, and depleted uranium weapons for the US
Military. They described the effects of these weapons,
showing them to be indiscriminate and thus illegal.