PROTECT THE EARTH

STATEMENT TO THE PEOPLE

FIVE VANCOUVER PEOPLE are now awaiting trial on more than a doaten charges, each arising from an alleged series of high-profile urban guerilla actions undertaken in Canada in 1982 and others supposedly planned for '1983-

The five charged have all been politically active in the Vancouver area for a number of years on su such issues as environmentalism, peace, native and prisoners' rights, feminism,and popular culture. They are Julie BelaaaSj 20; Gerry Hannah, 26; Ann Hansen,29; Doug Stewart,25} and Brent Taylor,26.

Bach is charged with 12 to 15 counts, including the dynamite bombing of a B.C. Hydro-eletric substation on Vancouver Island; the fire-bombing of three Red Hot Video porn outlets in Vancouver suburbs; conspiracy to bomb an oil exploration icebreaker under construction in Vancouver and the Canadieu Forces base at Cold Lake, Alta., where the Cruise missile is slated for testing; possession of restricted firearms and explosives; and co conspiracy to rob a Brinks truck. Also police in Vancouver and Toronto have consistently hinted they want to tie the five into the dynamite bombing of a Litton Systems Ltd. plant in Toronto where parts for the Cruise missile are made. Conviction on so some or all of the charges could result in sentences of up to 25 years in prison. In their first message to the community the five said, "•..the important thing is to maintain the primacy of the struggle to protect the earth and strive for liberation."

Much of the political work done around our case has been centered on the issues of a "right to a fair trial" and abuses of process by the media, police, and prosecution. We feel that it's undesirable for progressive 4 sympathetic people to focus on these issues. When people call for a fair trial they are implicitly stating that they accept the right of the government to try us,4 are only objecting to the abnormal & "unfair" procedure. Consciously or not, they are legitimising the moral authority of the law 4 the right of the government to make * enforce laws.

We reject the authority of the government. We see it as a powerful force of opression in the world. It is a force which has been waging three hundred years of genocidal war against the Indians, the o-riginal inhabititants of this land,* which not only sanctions but facilitates corporate investment in the Third World, blood money that maintains brutal dictatorships. The government plans and executes massive attacks on the environment, participates eagerly in the global arms race,4 fundamentally directs and maintains our society in its violence blindness.

We are dealing with the courts in a legalistic manner in an attempt to prevent them from crucifying us,4 we can certainly see the benefits of presuming the state to curb their more blatant manipulate tions. However, the benfits of civil libsrities agitation only come at the cost of reinforcing poli-cal concepts that we reject. We would like to see the political work done on our case center around what we consider to be the real issues! environ-mentalism, feminism, anti-imperialism,* radical activism. We appreciate all the efforts people have made to help us, but we see the need to stress the politics that are of primary importance to the peoples of the world.

-Gerry, Ann, Doug, Brent.

WRITE LETTERS to any of the five at

Oakalla Prison, Drawer B0», Burnaby, 8.C. V5B 3*4 Canada FIKASCIAL C0STRI8UTI0HS/0THER IDEAS Free the Vancouver Five Defense Group P0 Box 48296, Sentall St., Van.,B.C. V7X 1A1 Can.

This information has been edited from OPEN ROAD and the Free The Five Newsletter.