The verdict?
Guilty.
The sentence?
6 months good behaviour bond. No conviction recorded.
Amazing.
Many thanks to everyone for their prayers and support, history does indeed belong to the intercessors and no more obviously than today. Full court report coming soon.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Peace games break out across Melbourne on Anzac Day eve
You're invited to join the peace games breaking out across Melbourne!
At 12 noon on Thursday April 24th meet at Federation Square to roam the city inviting people to join the games! There will be free frisbees to give away to raise awareness of the trial of the Samuel Hill (Frisbee) 5 and the Talisman Sabre war games. Join in the fun as we show Melbourne that resistance to war is not all sour, angry faces, and can be fun and lifegiving!
There will be information to give out with the frisbees, and you're encouraged to take the opportunity on the eve of Anzac Day to help people consider that the best way to honour the fallen is to have no more war.
The group will leave Fed Square around 12:15. It will finish at 2pm with frisbee throwing in the Alexandra Gardens (over the bridge from Fed Square).
Contact Jane Carter (0403 713 157) for more details or to meet up somewhere along the walk, and spread the good news of peace games!
Please forward this invitation on to anyone you know who might be interested.
At 12 noon on Thursday April 24th meet at Federation Square to roam the city inviting people to join the games! There will be free frisbees to give away to raise awareness of the trial of the Samuel Hill (Frisbee) 5 and the Talisman Sabre war games. Join in the fun as we show Melbourne that resistance to war is not all sour, angry faces, and can be fun and lifegiving!
There will be information to give out with the frisbees, and you're encouraged to take the opportunity on the eve of Anzac Day to help people consider that the best way to honour the fallen is to have no more war.
The group will leave Fed Square around 12:15. It will finish at 2pm with frisbee throwing in the Alexandra Gardens (over the bridge from Fed Square).
Contact Jane Carter (0403 713 157) for more details or to meet up somewhere along the walk, and spread the good news of peace games!
Please forward this invitation on to anyone you know who might be interested.
Media for those interested...
There will be an interview on Light FM (89.9 fm in Melbourne) on Wednesday 23rd between 10 and 11am and for those who are more mainstream inclined, Nova and Vega are both running an interview sometime in the breakfast show (6am-9am) on Thursday morning (24th).
Tell your friends! And look out for more coverage in the daily papers and other news sources.
Tell your friends! And look out for more coverage in the daily papers and other news sources.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
some ways you can support us...
We've had lots of people asking how they can help support us, so here are a few ways you can do just that:
1. We're holding an information night about the action and trial (see below) on the evening of Thursday April 17th. Would love to see you there.
2. "Forgive us our carbon debts" - we are acutely aware that this will be the third flight between Melbourne and Rockhampton we've taken, and particularly of the toll this takes on the earth. If you're able to plant a tree on our behalf to offset this, it would be most appreciated. You could call it your peace tree! If you do, we'd love to hear about it too.
3. On the day of the trial (Thursday April 24) from 12-2 there will be an information stall and frisbee throwing activities, beginning at Federation Square and roaming around the city, to bring public attention to the trial and to Talisman Sabre 09. Contact Jane (0403 713 157) if you'd like to be involved, or just turn up. There will be people handing out free frisbees (with "peace games not war games" on them) and information (many thanks to Urban Seed for the frisbees!). The great thing about frisbee is that it's a fun and happy way to engage people with peace issues, so it'd be great to have as many people involved as possible. If you can't make it to the city, have a game of frisbee with a friend (or even better, with an enemy!) on the day to remember us.
4. Pray for us. We believe deeply that, as Walter Wink says, "History belongs to the intercessors". Especially we ask you to pray for peace and courage in a system that is designed to intimidate, and for those who will be in the courtroom hearing what we have to say. And pray for peace in our world, that together we might be able to render Talisman Sabre 09 unnecessary.
Thanks!
1. We're holding an information night about the action and trial (see below) on the evening of Thursday April 17th. Would love to see you there.
2. "Forgive us our carbon debts" - we are acutely aware that this will be the third flight between Melbourne and Rockhampton we've taken, and particularly of the toll this takes on the earth. If you're able to plant a tree on our behalf to offset this, it would be most appreciated. You could call it your peace tree! If you do, we'd love to hear about it too.
3. On the day of the trial (Thursday April 24) from 12-2 there will be an information stall and frisbee throwing activities, beginning at Federation Square and roaming around the city, to bring public attention to the trial and to Talisman Sabre 09. Contact Jane (0403 713 157) if you'd like to be involved, or just turn up. There will be people handing out free frisbees (with "peace games not war games" on them) and information (many thanks to Urban Seed for the frisbees!). The great thing about frisbee is that it's a fun and happy way to engage people with peace issues, so it'd be great to have as many people involved as possible. If you can't make it to the city, have a game of frisbee with a friend (or even better, with an enemy!) on the day to remember us.
4. Pray for us. We believe deeply that, as Walter Wink says, "History belongs to the intercessors". Especially we ask you to pray for peace and courage in a system that is designed to intimidate, and for those who will be in the courtroom hearing what we have to say. And pray for peace in our world, that together we might be able to render Talisman Sabre 09 unnecessary.
Thanks!
Monday, April 14, 2008
letters of support
We'd like to request your help as we front court in a little over a week.
If you could find some time to write a letter in support of the Samuel Hill 4 as we front the Yeppoon Magistrates Court, it would be greatly appreciated. We'd ideally like to have letters of support as people, saying that our actions were consistent with the rest of our lives, but more importantly letters that support our action.
We'd like to plonk a whole bunch of letters down in front of the judge, from a wide cross section of the community, saying that they support us and the action we took to stop these "war games". Something like the one below would be ideal (though you don't have to have been nominated for the Nobel Prize, let alone by Desmond Tutu).
This is one way you can have a say to the court system and the government about your opposition to war and violence.
Send it to samuelhill4@gmail.com and we'll make sure it reaches the trial judge. Many thanks.
If you could find some time to write a letter in support of the Samuel Hill 4 as we front the Yeppoon Magistrates Court, it would be greatly appreciated. We'd ideally like to have letters of support as people, saying that our actions were consistent with the rest of our lives, but more importantly letters that support our action.
We'd like to plonk a whole bunch of letters down in front of the judge, from a wide cross section of the community, saying that they support us and the action we took to stop these "war games". Something like the one below would be ideal (though you don't have to have been nominated for the Nobel Prize, let alone by Desmond Tutu).
This is one way you can have a say to the court system and the government about your opposition to war and violence.
Send it to samuelhill4@gmail.com and we'll make sure it reaches the trial judge. Many thanks.
To Whom it May Concern,I am Rev. John Dear, a Catholic priest, writer and lecturer, involved in work for peace and justice in the United States. As a reference, I'll share that earlier this year, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa nominated me for the Nobel Peace Prize.I'm writing in support of my friend Simon Moyle. He hosted me in Melbourne last year during my speaking tour of Australia. I was so moved and impressed by his good work as a Baptist minister, but also by his good character, his passion for peace and humanity, and his Christian faith. Simon Moyle is a true Christian, a real peacemaker, which is rare enough in our world of war.I fully support Simon's peacemaking life and work, and his beautiful, nonviolent attempt to say no to Australia's warmaking in last year's military exercises. His nonviolent witness, like the actions of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., is rooted in love, truth and faith; it strives to speak to the country about the need for peace, and invite everyone to disarmament and justice. His witness fits within Simon's life, character and vocation to follow the nonviolent Jesus, his effort to live out the biblical commandments to "love your enemies." I hope he is found not guilty, and I hope that Australia will heed his call, disarm its weapons, and pursue nonviolent solutions to international conflict. Thank you for your consideration. God bless you.Rev. John Dear
Thursday, April 3, 2008
information night details
The Story Behind the Samuel Hill 5 Nonviolent Direct Action
Thursday April 17th at 7:30pm
Borderlands Co-op
2 Minona St, Hawthorn
( Melways Ref. 45 E11 )
SUPPER PROVIDED
"In June 2007, five Christian peace activists (Sarah Williams, Simon Reeves, Carole Powell, Krystal Spencer and Simon Moyle) walked onto a military base during Australia/US war games in Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in central QLD. They played frisbee with the troops, calling them to trade in their war games for peace games, before being arrested for trespassing. Come and hear the story of how this action was planned, what happened there and how they're approaching the upcoming trial."
In connection with:
Peace Convergence
Christian Activist Network
Thursday April 17th at 7:30pm
Borderlands Co-op
2 Minona St, Hawthorn
( Melways Ref. 45 E11 )
SUPPER PROVIDED
"In June 2007, five Christian peace activists (Sarah Williams, Simon Reeves, Carole Powell, Krystal Spencer and Simon Moyle) walked onto a military base during Australia/US war games in Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in central QLD. They played frisbee with the troops, calling them to trade in their war games for peace games, before being arrested for trespassing. Come and hear the story of how this action was planned, what happened there and how they're approaching the upcoming trial."
In connection with:
Peace Convergence
Christian Activist Network
Sunday, March 30, 2008
info night
More details to come, but we're having an information night about Talisman Sabre, our action and the court proceedings on April 17, one week before our trial.
We'd love it if you could come, so please keep that date free.
There will also be solidarity actions happening on April 24, so stay tuned for how you can be involved.
We'd love it if you could come, so please keep that date free.
There will also be solidarity actions happening on April 24, so stay tuned for how you can be involved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)