Stonehenge Picket 2012
NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION
We have over the years employed a number of different tactics and methods to challenge the Authorities, and here we list some of them for your information.
Ritual
As a Druid Order we try to ensure that any causes we are campaigning for are brought up, or at least alluded to, in any Public Ritual we take part in, often to the annoyance of the other (not so political) Druids.
Protest and Political
We use Non-violet Direct Action, and will often take part in mass protest and/or Political Marches and Rallies, often organising our ‘own’ and getting involved in Picketing and Petitioning for the causes that we champion.
Arrest
When challenging what we have viewed as unjust laws many of our ‘warriors’ have been arrested on the ‘Field of Battle’ these have included numerous alleged offences under ‘The Criminal Justice Act’ and other legislation that curtails ‘civil rights’ and often results in ‘no charges’ being brought. When charged we have oft’ times secured not guilty verdicts in Magistrates and crown courts, and/or overturned convictions on Appeal.
One of the main reasons our warriors, my self included, are willing to risk arrest and charge is to bring the causes to the public attention through the media coverage of any trial that may take place and this has helped to ‘highlight’ many of the campaigns we have been involved in.
Imprisonment
When challenging what we have viewed as unjust bail conditions, set by Magistrates, designed to keep us from continuing with various campaigns some of our warriors, including my self, have elected to be remanded in custody rather then to except such conditions and have often had them overturned by appealing to Crown Court.
Civil Action
We have successfully taken a number of civil actions against the Authorities notably taking a successful case against Wiltshire Constabulary for wrongful arrest and unlawful imprisonment. Also we have made number of applications for Judicial Review at the Royal Court of Justice, with varied success, and been involved in many hearings at crown court both as Claimant and Defendant. Again this is a tactic we have used to highlight the causes we have been involved in.
European Court of Human Rights
We have taken a case under articles 9,10,11,and 14 to The European Court of Human Rights at Strasburg to help bring an end to the ‘so called’ exclusion zone in and around Stonehenge over the Summer Solstice period.
McKenzie Friend and Expert witness
I have been heavily involved in all the manner of legal challenges and am often called upon to act as a McKenzie Friend (lay Legal advisor) and or an expert witness in various courts to help in the defence, with a number of successes.
Public consultation and Inquiry
We have individually and as a group sat through and been represented at many Public Inquiries and taken part in many Government and local Authority consultations and meetings and continue to do so.
Elections
As an Independent Candidate I have stood for election at local, county and Parliamentary level in order to bring issues to the attention of the General Public.
Press and Media
Perhaps one of our ‘biggest’ successes in highlighting the various causes we champion is our ability to bring it to the attention of the media. I personally carry an NUJ Press card and have written articles and ‘papers’ that have been widely published in local and National Magazines and Newspapers, co-authored a book and have had papers published by varied University press and special interest groups. It is however, our ability as ‘Arthurian Knights’ to bring a sense of Theatre to the proceedings and to capture the imagination of press and public alike, that ensures our continued Media attention and gives us a platform to promote the causes we ‘fight’ for.
Talks and Moots
Often called upon as a guest speaker to give talks on our exploits and campaigns I will often change the subject to include any current campaign we are involved in, thus ensuring that what we are campaigning for at any given time will be out there on the ether.
Pressure Group
We continue to enlist the support of our Members of Parliament and local Councillors where we can, and that of other like minded individuals and Organisations to further the causes. By working together we believe we can achieve far more than by working in isolation. We therefore often find ourselves with ‘strange bedfellows’ but for our Order the Cause must always come first over any petty differences.
Networking and The World Wide Web
We have a very visible and informative web presence at www.warband.org.uk and continued presence on the Social networking sites Twitter and Face book and will continue to ‘get the message across’ and inform the general public of our campaigns.
Ritual
As a Druid Order we try to ensure that any causes we are campaigning for are brought up, or at least alluded to, in any Public Ritual we take part in, often to the annoyance of the other (not so political) Druids.
Protest and Political
We use Non-violet Direct Action, and will often take part in mass protest and/or Political Marches and Rallies, often organising our ‘own’ and getting involved in Picketing and Petitioning for the causes that we champion.
Arrest
When challenging what we have viewed as unjust laws many of our ‘warriors’ have been arrested on the ‘Field of Battle’ these have included numerous alleged offences under ‘The Criminal Justice Act’ and other legislation that curtails ‘civil rights’ and often results in ‘no charges’ being brought. When charged we have oft’ times secured not guilty verdicts in Magistrates and crown courts, and/or overturned convictions on Appeal.
One of the main reasons our warriors, my self included, are willing to risk arrest and charge is to bring the causes to the public attention through the media coverage of any trial that may take place and this has helped to ‘highlight’ many of the campaigns we have been involved in.
Imprisonment
When challenging what we have viewed as unjust bail conditions, set by Magistrates, designed to keep us from continuing with various campaigns some of our warriors, including my self, have elected to be remanded in custody rather then to except such conditions and have often had them overturned by appealing to Crown Court.
Civil Action
We have successfully taken a number of civil actions against the Authorities notably taking a successful case against Wiltshire Constabulary for wrongful arrest and unlawful imprisonment. Also we have made number of applications for Judicial Review at the Royal Court of Justice, with varied success, and been involved in many hearings at crown court both as Claimant and Defendant. Again this is a tactic we have used to highlight the causes we have been involved in.
European Court of Human Rights
We have taken a case under articles 9,10,11,and 14 to The European Court of Human Rights at Strasburg to help bring an end to the ‘so called’ exclusion zone in and around Stonehenge over the Summer Solstice period.
McKenzie Friend and Expert witness
I have been heavily involved in all the manner of legal challenges and am often called upon to act as a McKenzie Friend (lay Legal advisor) and or an expert witness in various courts to help in the defence, with a number of successes.
Public consultation and Inquiry
We have individually and as a group sat through and been represented at many Public Inquiries and taken part in many Government and local Authority consultations and meetings and continue to do so.
Elections
As an Independent Candidate I have stood for election at local, county and Parliamentary level in order to bring issues to the attention of the General Public.
Press and Media
Perhaps one of our ‘biggest’ successes in highlighting the various causes we champion is our ability to bring it to the attention of the media. I personally carry an NUJ Press card and have written articles and ‘papers’ that have been widely published in local and National Magazines and Newspapers, co-authored a book and have had papers published by varied University press and special interest groups. It is however, our ability as ‘Arthurian Knights’ to bring a sense of Theatre to the proceedings and to capture the imagination of press and public alike, that ensures our continued Media attention and gives us a platform to promote the causes we ‘fight’ for.
Talks and Moots
Often called upon as a guest speaker to give talks on our exploits and campaigns I will often change the subject to include any current campaign we are involved in, thus ensuring that what we are campaigning for at any given time will be out there on the ether.
Pressure Group
We continue to enlist the support of our Members of Parliament and local Councillors where we can, and that of other like minded individuals and Organisations to further the causes. By working together we believe we can achieve far more than by working in isolation. We therefore often find ourselves with ‘strange bedfellows’ but for our Order the Cause must always come first over any petty differences.
Networking and The World Wide Web
We have a very visible and informative web presence at www.warband.org.uk and continued presence on the Social networking sites Twitter and Face book and will continue to ‘get the message across’ and inform the general public of our campaigns.
