From indymedia.org.uk
Cardiff activists
imprisoned following anti-McDonald's protest
Ian Brown, 19.10.2003
16:57
Cardiff police admitted in court to beating Val Swain while she
was
handcuffed. The judge then sent her and a fellow protester to prison
despite
the fact that neither have any previous convictions and represent no
threat
to any member of the public.
In the early hours of Thursday, 16
October, Cardiff police arrested three
people on Newport Road. After
handcuffing all three detainees and securing
them in a police van, officers
removed Val Swain from the van and beat her
on the legs with a telescopic
truncheon. Several hours later police raided
the suspects' houses removing
anti-McDonald's leaflets.
In Cardiff magistrates court the following day,
the arresting officer
admitted in a statement that he had beaten Val in order
"to change her
thought processes".
The three are charged with criminal
damage, conspiracy to commit criminal
damage and assaulting police
officers.
None of the detainees have ever been convicted of any criminal
offence and
all hold down responsible jobs. Despite this fact, the judge, who
earlier in
the day released on bail a man who had threatened to kill his
neighbour,
remanded Val Swain and Geoff Cornock in prison pending appearance
in Cardiff
Crown Court on 28 October. Unquestionably, the judge has denied
the right of
Val's three daughters (aged 13, 10 and 3) to the care of their
mother. The
judge had endangered not only Val's job, but also that of her
partner and,
by so doing, places the integrity of the family in
jeopardy.
The imprisonment of the two people is wholly disproportionate
to the alleged
offences. The confiscation of the anti-McDonald's leaflets,
the brutality
shown by police officers and the imprisonment of the accused
demonstrates
the true motives of the police: the victimisation of those who
protest.
Val Swain and Geoff Cornock are political prisoners, detained
for
challenging the power of the state and the transnationals.
Is this
tolerable?
Geoff Cornock is being held at HMP Cardiff, 1 Knox Road,
Cardiff CF24 0UV
Valerie Swain is being held at HMP Eastwood Park,
Falfield,
Wootton-Under-Edge, Gloucester, GL12
8DB
