[JNV] JNV Appeal / 10 April Trial / Key Telegraph Poll / How to donate

[JNV]

1) JNV APPEAL GOING STRONG - MORE DONATIONS WELCOME

Justice Not Vengeance issued an appeal for financial support on 2 April (17 months after our last appeal). By 11 April, we had received £1,553 in cash and cheques. We are extremely grateful for the very generous support we've had from 23 supporters so far. 

We welcome warmly further donations to help move us towards our goal of £4,000. If everyone who receives this email (who has not already donated) was to make some contribution, of whatever size

If you value the work of JNV in art, protest, or analysis, we ask you please to give as generously as you can. (Details of how to donate are at the end of this email.)

Thank you,

Maya Anne Evans
Emily Johns
Milan Rai


2) JNV TRIAL BREAKS UP IN CONFUSION

Maya Anne Evans and Milan Rai were meant to have been on trial yesterday (10 April), facing a maximum penalty of 51 weeks in prison, but the proceedings broke down in something of a judicial farce. No trial was held, and no date was fixed for it to recommence.

The sticking point was Maya and Mil's refusal to give their dates of birth to the court (as they had done in their earlier court SOCPA cases), which Judge Newton decided to treat as contempt of court, sending them to the cells for an hour, postponing the trial, and setting a date (Friday 20 April) for a new trial on the charge of contempt of court.

The charge of organizing an unauthorized demonstration was also inexplicably dropped at the last moment.

For a full account of the hearing by Milan Rai, please click on the link on our home page www.j-n-v.org.


3) TELEGRAPH POLL - BRITISH PUBLIC REJECTS GREAT POWER STATUS

The Daily Telegraph commissioned a YouGov poll which was published on 5 April 2007. Anthony King, professor of government at Essex University, summarized parts of the poll for the Telegraph:

'The figures set out in the chart attest to the existence of a public opinion strikingly at odds with the views of Tony Blair and other major party leaders. Asked straightforwardly whether we as a nation should go on trying "to punch above our weight" internationally, a clear majority, 55 per cent, say "No". Only 30 per cent take the opposite view, with the remainder unsure.'

'Only a minuscule seven per cent think Britain "should try to expand its military influence in the world, if necessary by increasing spending on the armed forces" and only 19 per cent appear content with Britain's present role. Instead, two voters in every three believe Britain is already over-extended and should reduce its overseas commitments, should spend less and should not worry if British influence is thereby diminished.'

'The findings reported in the section of the chart headed "Involvement in foreign conflicts" point in the same direction. Although a majority of YouGov's respondents sympathise with continuing British involvement in purely peace-keeping operations, an even larger majority - nearly three quarters of those questioned - are emphatic that Britain "should be reluctant to become involved in any foreign conflict unless it is absolutely clear that it is in Britain's own interests to do so".'

'Substantial majorities think British troops should be withdrawn from both Afghanistan and Iraq more or less immediately.'

The actual question is: 'Should British forces continue to be deployed in Iraq/ Afghanistan for at least the next year or two, or should they be brought home more or less immediately?'

British forces should continue to be deployed: Iraq 29% Afghanistan 33%
They should be brought home soon: Iraq 59% Afghanistan 53%
Don't know: Iraq 13% Afghanistan 14%

The anti-war movement represents the mainstream, the majority of opinion.

The full results of the poll are available as a pdf from:
<http://tinyurl.com/yq2wmy>


4) HOW TO DONATE

If you are able to make a donation - of whatever size - to support our work, please make your cheque out to 'JNV' and send it to us at:

Justice Not Vengeance, 29 Gensing Road, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0HE.

If you feel able to offer continuing support through a monthly standing order - again, of whatever size - our bank details are:

Justice Not Vengeance,
A/C 78520921
Nationwide Building Society,
40 London Road,
St Leonards-on-Sea
East Sussex
TN37 6AN
Sort code 07-00-55

Many thanks for all your work, and for whatever support you are able to contribute.

best wishes

Maya Anne Evans
Emily Johns
Milan Rai