AUSTRALIA - Ploughshares action on Australian Army Tiger Attack Helicopter

by Resisters Charged Choppers Moved - Australian TV Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:59

YOUTUBE (2 mins) Bryan Law & Graeme Dunstan Charged - Choppers Moved, Prime Minister Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvAcPURwYko&feature=related

by Exploding Dunny!!! Tue Jul 26, 2011 08:45

http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/newshome/990836...-man/

Portaloo blast injures RAAF member
AAP July 25, 2011, 6:11 pm

A man from the Royal Australian Air Force who suffered horrific burns in a portaloo explosion is expected to be taken to Brisbane for treatment.

The man received third-degree burns to his head, face, arms, chest and airways in the incident at the Rockhampton airport about 9.30am (AEST) on Monday, the Department of Community Safety said.

"There was some sort of explosion in a portaloo. It's believed the man was lighting a cigarette at the time," a spokeswoman said.

"He was taken to the Rockhampton hospital in a serious condition."

Defence spokesman Brigadier Bob Brown said the victim received immediate treatment.

"It is expected that he will be transferred to the Brisbane Hospital this evening," he told reporters in Rockhampton.

"Our top priority is to the member, to ensure he gets the best of medical care."

Brigadier Brown said the man had been taking part in a joint US-Australia military exercise, Talisman Sabre.

He said his family had been notified of the incident, and police and fire authorities were investigating the incident.
He said it was too early to speculate about what caused the explosion.
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by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:16

...Cheyney was out hunting again.

by cop audio Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:33

YOUTUBE (8 mins)-Police Interview with Bryan Law on his Intentions to do a Ploughshares Action on a Helicopter Gunship in nonviolent resistance to the War on Afghanistan!

YOUTUBE (8 mins) - Police Record of Interview by Queenlsand Criminal Investigation Bureau of Bryan Law who explains ploughshares and his intentions to disarm a helicopter gunship in Australia in nonviolent resistance to the war on Afghainstan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvZgfbGCLRk

In July 2011, Bryan Law from Cairns, north Queensland/ Australia, travelled to Rockhampton central Queensland to the biannual "Operation Talisman Sabre" live fire military exercises involving 20,000 U.S. and 7,000 Australian military troops.  The exercises are based on invasion and counter-insurgency scenarios.  Australia has a long military history of servicing British and U.S. military aggression in Aotearoa, Sudan, South Africa, North Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Bryan publicly declared his intention to disarm a military helicopter gunship. He was arrested for making this declaration.  This recording is an excerpt from the police record of interview that preceeded him being initially charged for "the threats".  Much of the youtube imagery is from Bryan's home and beautiful tropical hometown of Cairns.

Near the end of the interview, the police ask Bryan why he did not go to Australia's capital Canberra to lobby politicians to stop the war on Afghanistan?

Bryan replies "Politicians are not going to do this for us!

1. They don't want to! 63% of the Australian people oppose this war, that translates into two votes in the House of Representatives and everyone else votes in favour of continuing the war.

And even if they wanted to stop it, I don't think they'd know how.  I think most of the politicians we have today, couldn't find their bum in the dark - even if they had a torch, a friend and a map!

So I don't go to Canberra and ask useless, corrupt politicians to solve this problem for me they are not going to do it. People themselves are going to solve this problem!"

After being released on bail, Bryan in broad daylight tricycled on to the runway of Rockhampton Airport and disarmed an Australian Tiger attack helicopter.

Youtube of action (1 min 30 secs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VpFaKoK9kE ;

Bryan Law and Graeme Dunstan are due to appear in Rockhampton Court August 5th. facing serious charges arising from this ploughshares action

by from Bryan Law, living in Cairns awaiting trial in Rocky Tue Nov 29, 2011 15:28 Cairns, (far north) Queensland, Australia

Right next to the Coral Sea.

Cairns is a semi-modern tropical city* of 150,000, nestled between the Great Barrier Reef, and the remnant wet tropical rainforest along the great dividing range in north-eastern Australia.  To our north is Cape York Peninsula – a land area of 121,100 sq kilometres with  19,000 (mostly Aboriginal) people.  Lots of/different kinds of wilderness under pressure.  Right next to the Coral Sea.  Out west is the Gulf country.

130 years on from settlement, Cairns is an outpost of European colonialism in Asia.  In the suppression of indigenes, support of minerals exploitation in east and west Papua, and R&R base for the forward deployed US Navy, Cairns serves as an administrative and service centre for attempted European dominance of the Pacific basin.

The battle of the Coral Sea in 1942 is emblematic of Australia’s contemporary relations with the US empire in the Pacific, and Cairns is the closest city to it.  In St Monica’s Catholic Cathedral in Cairns a set of stained glass windows memorialise this battle.  Designated as a “peace window” the images are of death in the midst of life, in our coral seas.  The battle was a tactical victory for US and Australian naval forces preventing Japanese occupation of Port Moresby.  At this point Australia had pivoted in its great power alliance from Britain to the USA.

ARTICLE CONITUED....

http://www.cairnspeacebypeace.org/?page_id=1569

by 2 Front Court Rocky Sat May 12, 2012 08:52 Rockhampton, central Queensland, Australia

AAP
Activist in court over chopper attack
Nathan Paull
May 10, 2012

A man charged with wilful damage for attacking an army helicopter with a garden mattock while riding a tricycle has appeared in a central Queensland court.

Peace activist Bryan Law, 57, was arrested after the unusual incident during the Talisman Sabre war games at Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland on July 21 last year.

In a statement released before his appearance in Rockhampton Magistrates Court today, Law said the stunt, which put a hole in the helicopter's door, cost the Department of Defence $180,000 in repairs.

His accomplice, Graeme Dunstan, 69, allegedly helped Law by opening the gate to the airfield.

Dunstan says he and Law do not regret their actions.

"It (the helicopter) is a death machine which will otherwise be deployed to Afghanistan and used to kill some of the poorest people on earth who have dared to resist an invasion of the armies of some of the richest peoples on earth," Dunstan said in the statement.

The outspoken pair also organised a protest outside the courthouse before their matters were heard.

Law's matter was adjourned until May 24.

Dunstan's wilful damage charge has been committed to be heard in the Rockhampton District Court at a date to be set.

OTHER MEDIA

VID/ ARTICLE ROCKHAMPTON BULLETIN - Anti-war activists in court
ONE is a Buddhist, the other a Christian.

But Graeme Dunstan and Bryan Law's shared anti-war beliefs led them to allegedly commit crimes which may see them thrown in jail.

Their beliefs are also what has made them close friends.

After appearing in Rockhampton Magistrates Court charged for offences relating to damaging a $36 million Australian Defence Force helicopter, Dunstan, 69, and Law, 57, appeared more worried about being parted during proceedings.
VID/ ARTICLE CONTINUED...
http://tinyurl.com/c2w3rj7

7 NEWS Accused chopper vandal ordered back to court

A central Queensland magistrate has refused to excuse a Cairns man charged with attacking an Australian military helicopter from appearing personally in court later this month.

Brian Law and Graeme Dunstan are charged with attacking an Australian military helicopter at the Rockhampton Airport as part of an anti-war protest during Exercise Talisman Sabre last July.
ARTICLE CONTINUED.....
http://tinyurl.com/cxyh3w5

ROCKY TIGER PLOUGHSHARES WEBSITE

by Ciaron O'Reilly Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:23

R.I.P. Bryan Law has passed away, while awaiting ploughshares trial for disarmament of attack helicopter

It is great sadness and shock to hear that Australian anti-war activist Bryan Law has passed away in Rockhamtpon.

Bryan was 58 and had relocated from his home in Cairns to prepare for both Talisman Sabre 2013 U.S./Australian military exercises and his & Graeme Dunstan's August "Rocky Ploughshares" trial in Rockhampton following the disarmament of a Tiger Attack helicopter during the Talisman Sabre 2011 military exercises.

Video of the Rocky Ploughshares action for which Bryan and Graeme Dunstan were charged
http://tinyurl.com/czqu8af

Sympathy and prayer go out to Bryan's wife Margaret and son Joseph.
Cairns obituary
http://tinyurl.com/cdhd6us

I first heard Bryan before I saw him. I was 17 years old and had been badly beaten up by Queensland police at a banned street march in Brisbane and placed in a cell in the Brisbane watchhouse All demonstrations were banned for several years 1977-82 by an authoritarian Joh Bjelke Petersen led Queensland state government in response to the anti-uranium mining movement. The ban was enforced by a corrupt off-the-leash Queensland police force that has now been long exposed.

I was unable to afford the huge bail placed on me and 9 other folks decided to refuse bail from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning before we appeared before a magistrate. We could not see each other in the other cells but we could yell out to each other. At one point on the Saturday evening I remember this deep droll voice starting to complain about cigarette burns on the carpet in his cell and how his cell television was playing up. Of course carpet and television didn't exist ..... but Bryan was so convincing, he had me sold!

There were thousands who refused to "go along to get along" with the Queensland Bjelke Petersen government and police force during that 1977-82 crackdown. Of the thousands arrested, bashed, raided, framed, harassed, blacklisted during that period, some of us remained "beat up but upbeat" turning towards, exploring and sustaining nonviolent resistance against war and war preparations. As we turned towards the U.S. traditions of the Catholic Worker and Berrigans, Bryan turned to a deep exploration of Gandhi.

Our paths crossed over the next 35 years and it was always a delight to hear Bryan reflect, speak and act. Bryan's laid back Australian demeanour contrasted with my Irish outrage, He was Australia at its best when confronted by injustice - direct, unfazed, courageous.

We were back in the new Brisbane watchhouse together in 1988 for nonviolent resistance to nuclear warship visits - USS New Jersey & HMS Ark Royal.

In response to Australian military involvement in the wars on Iraq & Afghanistan Bryan, Adele Goldie, Jim Dowling and Donna Mulhearn made for the hi tech Australian heart of the beast breaking into Pine Gap.
Vid - Bryan speaking outside Pine Gap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fISiZwT_X4Y

We are a lot poorer as an active anti-war remnant in this dark time without Bryan.

Sympathy and solidarity to Bryan's wife Margaret, son Joseph and co-defendant Graeme
This poem "Some" by Fr Dan Berrigan SJ speaks to Bryan's long fidelity to the nonviolent struggle for peace and justice
http://tinyurl.com/cndhvtq

by fred Wed Apr 03, 2013 19:45

Sorry to hear another brave peace campaigner has fallen.
My sympathies to his family for their loss and ours.