Zoe Rogers' mum has posted the full text of her address to the jury at Woolwich Crown Court 🧵
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Zoe Rogers' mum has posted the full text of her address to the jury at Woolwich Crown Court 🧵
Zoe is 21 years old.
"During this trial you’ve heard some very important evidence. That there are factories on British soil making weapons to send to Israel. That the drones they make include Thor VTOL quadcopters used to drop grenades, drones that are advertised as ‘battle tested’ on Palestinians. You heard how we tried every democratic means available to us ... "
1
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Zoe Rogers' mum has posted the full text of her address to the jury at Woolwich Crown Court 🧵
Zoe is 21 years old.
"During this trial you’ve heard some very important evidence. That there are factories on British soil making weapons to send to Israel. That the drones they make include Thor VTOL quadcopters used to drop grenades, drones that are advertised as ‘battle tested’ on Palestinians. You heard how we tried every democratic means available to us ... "
1
" ... including demonstrations, fundraisers, encampments, petitions, writing to MPs, vigils, arms factory pickets, the list goes on.
And how none of it worked.
You heard how direct action is effective, how it ended apartheid during the civil rights movement in America, how it is being used in the UK today to shut down weapons factories, FOUR of which have been closed permanently."
2
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" ... including demonstrations, fundraisers, encampments, petitions, writing to MPs, vigils, arms factory pickets, the list goes on.
And how none of it worked.
You heard how direct action is effective, how it ended apartheid during the civil rights movement in America, how it is being used in the UK today to shut down weapons factories, FOUR of which have been closed permanently."
2
"After hearing the six of us give evidence you might think it odd that what’s happening in Palestine has gone completely unmentioned. You might have noticed certain words that have been blacklisted, that until our closing speeches, the word GENOCIDE wasn’t said once.
I have a lot to lose by going to prison. But you know that we all actually intended to be arrested on 6 August."
3
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"After hearing the six of us give evidence you might think it odd that what’s happening in Palestine has gone completely unmentioned. You might have noticed certain words that have been blacklisted, that until our closing speeches, the word GENOCIDE wasn’t said once.
I have a lot to lose by going to prison. But you know that we all actually intended to be arrested on 6 August."
3
"The reason I was confident enough to allow that was because I knew that now, 20 months in the future, I would be standing in front of 12 ordinary people like you.
Not politicians, not legal experts, not barristers and judges wearing 400-year-old horsehair on their heads, but a panel of my equals.
You are the best counterweight to power and tyranny within the legal system as it exists today.
I want you to know however, that whatever you decide, I will not hold it against you."
4
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"The reason I was confident enough to allow that was because I knew that now, 20 months in the future, I would be standing in front of 12 ordinary people like you.
Not politicians, not legal experts, not barristers and judges wearing 400-year-old horsehair on their heads, but a panel of my equals.
You are the best counterweight to power and tyranny within the legal system as it exists today.
I want you to know however, that whatever you decide, I will not hold it against you."
4
"How can I when you have been kept so in the dark?
But you can be sure of one thing: I am PROUD.
I am so proud that I took part in this. I am proud that I overcame my fear and took action.
Because of course I was scared. You don’t just break into an Israeli weapons factory for fun!I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best thing I have ever done, because there is a good chance that because of our actions that night,
innocent lives were saved."5
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"How can I when you have been kept so in the dark?
But you can be sure of one thing: I am PROUD.
I am so proud that I took part in this. I am proud that I overcame my fear and took action.
Because of course I was scared. You don’t just break into an Israeli weapons factory for fun!I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best thing I have ever done, because there is a good chance that because of our actions that night,
innocent lives were saved."5
"And so I will never be ashamed that I was on trial, that I have spent 18 months in prison, that I may face many more.
You know that we have been treated as terrorists throughout this process.
A domestic violence worker, two nursery schoolteachers, one oxford grad, an artist and me. It sounds dystopian, but it’s true.
Just like the proscription of Palestine Action."
6
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"And so I will never be ashamed that I was on trial, that I have spent 18 months in prison, that I may face many more.
You know that we have been treated as terrorists throughout this process.
A domestic violence worker, two nursery schoolteachers, one oxford grad, an artist and me. It sounds dystopian, but it’s true.
Just like the proscription of Palestine Action."
6
"But this time YOU are the decision makers. Unlike what the prosecution and the government want you to be, you are not a rubber stamp.
Don't fall into their trap.
Find the six of us not guilty of criminal damage."
End
You can read the speeches of the other four defendants who dismissed their lawyers so they could address the jury directly here:
Filton 6 Trial - Defendants' closing speeches - Real Media - The View From Below
Defence legal professionals watched their clients from the public gallery as the Filton trial dramatically concluded with defendants accusing the court of hiding the nature of the weapons they damaged.
Real Media - The View From Below (realmedia.press)
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R relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
