The Telford Arms Fair protest. Photo: By SDSC-UK/Stop the Telford Arms Fair.
Four Quaker peace activists acquitted
Venue urged to stop hosting the annual Strategic Defence and Security Convention by protesters
Peace campaigners have urged the Telford International Centre (TIC) to stop hosting the annual Strategic Defence and Security Convention (SDSC-UK), known as Telford Arms Fair.
The letter, from Stop SDSC-UK/Stop the Telford Arms Fair, to Alison Griffin, TIC’s chief executive officer, follows the acquittal of six Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters, including four Quakers. Louise Scrivens, from Solihull Meeting, Ralph Wallin, from Bournville Meeting, and Fran Wilde and Rajan Naidu, from Selly Oak Meeting, were arrested and charged with ‘locking on’ to obstruct access to the event in November 2023. The two other activists were Ali Bath and Heather Wilde. The protesters were sent the verdict by email on 28 February. ‘Locking on’ was criminalised under the Public Order Act 2023.
Rajan Naidu said that the activists were informed three days before their verdict was due on 3 March that they had been found innocent of all charges brought against them by the Crown Prosecution Service. ‘Some of us would have liked to hear the verdict in court but, anyhow, this outcome is a full vindication of XR’s action – our act of peaceful civil resistance to the global arms trade responsible for significant, dangerous levels of carbon emissions and other forms of pollution and environmental destruction that are very rarely calculated or published by governments.’
Andrew Feinstein, author of The Shadow World and expert on the global arms trade, sent the group a letter of support, which formed part of their defence.
According to Rajan Naidu, the case was ‘in effect, a test case of what constitutes “serious disruption” under the new Public Order Act 2023. The police interpretation of our action and the subsequent Crown Prosecution case against us was found to be severely wanting’.
The trial began on 20 January at Walsall Magistrates Court and was adjourned three days later for deliberation. Jo Hindley, from Cotteridge Meeting, said, ‘Each defendant explained their motivations, citing scientific evidence from the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], religious convictions such as the Quaker Peace Testimony and Pope Francis’s “Laudato Si!”, and the need for peacebuilding initiatives like citizens’ assemblies.
‘Judge Wheeler weighed the disruption caused by the protest against the defendants’ rights under Articles 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act, emphasising freedom of expression and assembly. He referenced the 2021 Supreme Court case “DPP v. Ziegler”, which examined proportionality and recklessness in protest cases.’
Quakers joined other supporters, including XR members, trade unions, and environmental activists, outside the court to display banners, hand out information, and wave the XR ‘Peace Dove’ puppet. Inside, a rotating group of ten supporters observed from the public gallery.
