Two protesters accused of ‘locking on’ to the road outside an arms factory in Moulsecoomb have pleaded not guilty today.
Ash Yoganathan, 27 and Cole MacDonald, 21, were protesting outside the premises of defence manufacturer, L3 Harris, on Home Farm Road earlier this month.
The two protesters appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court today, both denying the charges of wilful obstruction of a highway and locking on to cause serious disruption.
Yoganathan, of Bevendean Crescent, and MacDonald, of Baker Street, were part of a group of protestors on Thursday, 2 May, who held banners outside the Home Farm Industrial Estate criticising L3 Harris for their role in manufacturing parts for bombs used globally.
Prosecuting, Pamela Ciesla said: “As part of the protest, the defendants were found laying across the carriageway blocking vehicles.
“They were found laying on yoga mats with a deconstructed cardboard box and had their arms inside a locking contraption which was underneath.”
Ms Ciesla said that the pair were arrested after police constable, Daniel Grey, had asked if they would move of their own accord.
Defence solicitor for Miss MacDonald, Jenna Dolan, said: “They agree that they were locked on.
“They did not cause serious disruption, people were still going around them.
“They believed they were preventing war crimes and they were protecting the lives of people in Gaza.”
Magistrates Fiona Sommerville, Barbara Dart and Jo Nixon imposed a bail condition on both defendants not to go to Home Farm Road in Moulsecoomb.
Locking on to a person, object or land became an offence under the Public Order Act 2023, and the maximum sentence is six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
The court adjourned until the next hearing at Brighton Magistrates on 31 October.
“They believed they were preventing war crimes and they were protecting the lives of people in Gaza.”
How deluded can you get.
What in moulsecoomb? And let’s not forget they make these for the war against Russia but that’s not on their agenda.
How deluded can you get.
You can get deluded as you wish but that factory makes bomb release mechanisms for Israel jets without which Israel can’t keep carpet bombing defenceless refugee camps , apartment blocks , aid convoys , ambulances and schools
Yep.
Well send Jenna Dolan!
Your lack of humanity is quite striking.
So they are trying to get out of a fine or custodial sentence on a technicality by obfuscating if they had “locked on”? Sigh.
Do these people ever go to work? Can they not be also prosecuted for supporting terrorism and soap dodging?
Solidarity to them both. They are correct that the factory makes components for bombs that have rained down in Gaza. That enabled a genocide.
The defendants deserve to be congratulated.
Supporters of a Zionist Israel and genocide who’ve posted here will be ignored.
Heroes