war protester jailed
A FELLOW blogger has been sent to Wandsworth jail after organising an "unauthorised" anti-war protest.
Author Milan Rai, 42, of the group Justice Not Vengeance, has the dubious honour of becoming the first person to be convicted of demonstrating within 1km of Parliament Square in London.
Rai, who blogs here at UK Watch among other places, was handed a 14-day sentence yesterday (Wed) for refusing to pay his fines.
The offences date back to October 2005, when he was arrested opposite Downing Street while reading out the names of Iraqis and British service personnel killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
Rai - who also edits Peace News, the UK's oldest peace movement newspaper - was subsequently convicted of organising an "unauthorised" demonstration within 1km of parliament, fined £350 and ordered to pay £150 in costs.
In May 2007 he was convicted again, this time for organising and participating in the "No More Fallujahs" weekend of nonviolent resistance marking the 2nd anniversary of the US/UK onslaught on the Iraqi city of Fallujah
At least 550 women and children are believed to have been killed during the latter attack, during which US forces used white phosphorus - a substance that burns down to the bone on contact with human flesh - as a weapon.
At his second trial Rai was fined £100. On both occasions he declared that he would refuse to pay his fines on grounds of conscience.
He was awarded Catholic peace group Pax Christi's biannual Peace Award in June.
Author Milan Rai, 42, of the group Justice Not Vengeance, has the dubious honour of becoming the first person to be convicted of demonstrating within 1km of Parliament Square in London.
Rai, who blogs here at UK Watch among other places, was handed a 14-day sentence yesterday (Wed) for refusing to pay his fines.
The offences date back to October 2005, when he was arrested opposite Downing Street while reading out the names of Iraqis and British service personnel killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
Rai - who also edits Peace News, the UK's oldest peace movement newspaper - was subsequently convicted of organising an "unauthorised" demonstration within 1km of parliament, fined £350 and ordered to pay £150 in costs.
In May 2007 he was convicted again, this time for organising and participating in the "No More Fallujahs" weekend of nonviolent resistance marking the 2nd anniversary of the US/UK onslaught on the Iraqi city of Fallujah
At least 550 women and children are believed to have been killed during the latter attack, during which US forces used white phosphorus - a substance that burns down to the bone on contact with human flesh - as a weapon.
At his second trial Rai was fined £100. On both occasions he declared that he would refuse to pay his fines on grounds of conscience.
He was awarded Catholic peace group Pax Christi's biannual Peace Award in June.