Seven convicted for airbase demo

18/12/2008

Seven protesters have been convicted at Ipswich crown court for trespassing on to an American airbase in Suffolk and chaining themselves to security gates.

The Fenland Citizen reports that the demonstrators had taken issue with reports that cluster bombs were being stored at the site and forced entry on the morning of October 26th 2006.

Five women and two men between the ages of 26 and 63 were convicted of criminal damage and trespassing and also ordered to pay £250 in damages.

Speaking after the four-day trial, Melanie Harrison, 37, of the Eastern Region Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, told the paper: "We're not guilty. We had lawful excuse to take that decision to protest."

The verdict comes after the Plane Stupid Campaign launched a high-profile protest at Heathrow Airport earlier this month.

The environmental protection group chained themselves to a truck in a demonstration against the proposals to build another runway at the London airport.