Yesterday Chris Cole and Fr. Martin Newell were formally charged at West End police station with "criminal damage". The charges result from the NVDA taken at Downing Street on 7th Oct 2011 marking the 10th anniversary of the war on Afghanistan. For background on the action take a look at this video or read this report.
Chris and Martin have been given a court date at Westminister Magistrates at 10 a.m. on 19th Dec 2011. Police have decided to take "no further action" on four others arrested in the October action - Maya Evans, Ben Griffin, John Lynes and Ciaron O'Reilly
Martin was taken into custody this morning on an old warrant relating to nonviolent anti-war resistance. He is presently being held at the West End/ London police station and will be taken to a court for sentencing on the old warrant today or tomorrow. At the present time we have no further word from the police on Martin.
Martin is a member of the London Catholic Worker; he has previously served 8 months in prison for his participation in the Jubilee Ploughshares 2000 nonviolent disabling. of the nuclear convoy vehicle en transit from Aldermaston to Faslane. In June 2011, Martin was found guilty of charges relating to a 2010 action at Aldermaston.