Waihopai spy base trial - protestors not guilty - Video

@ linda grammer: honourable? so you are happy that your taxes will go toward fixing the huge damage bill these idiots caused? you'd be happy if another catastrophic incident like 9/11 occurred when it could have been prevented by this type of technology?

I still hope for the day when vandalism of property under the guise of 'protest' is considered violent protest. these idiots should have been thrown in jail and made to repay the damage they caused because our taxes are needed elsewhere.

The reason the Crown lost the case was because they tried to charge them with intentional damage as opposed to the more appropriate charge of sabotage. Sabotage deals with attacks on military infrastructure. The Crown & GCSB were too afraid that they would have to take the stand and answer questions during cross-examination as their ‘neither confirm nor deny’ response wouldn’t cut the mustard in court, they would have had to answer questions. They avoided laying that charge and left the defendants with the defence that they won with. The damage to their dome was insignificant compared to the damage they would bring upon themselves if they had to answer questions and be honest about their activities to the public. They lost because they are scared to face the public about what they do, and for whom…

While I personaly support the activists' actions, a not guilty verdict is simply not correct. They did do it and it was an illegal act. This shows a problem with the jury system. The jurors are not legal experts and can be swayed by an emotive arguement. This would be no different from say, a cannabis activist saying the dope laws are wrong and the jury agrees and aquits him of a charge he is legally guilty of. While this may be a worthwhile mistake, imagine if Clayton Weatherston's emotional arguement had swayed the jury is his case? Imagine if you were on trial and the jury consisted of a bunch of sobbing old women listening to the crown's emotional arguement as to why you are such a wicked person. This is no way for justice to be decided. But on a personal note, Good for them! Let's get rid of that damn base!

To Medusa, It wasn't just a random act of breaking the law. These guys have been working to help others and promote peace their WHOLE lives.. It would have been different if one day they decided to do the act if they hadn't been living messages of peace their whole lives but because they have been, it was ok. I personally believe that is why they got the not guilty verdict. I know if I did something like that I would be found guilty because even though I do care about world peace I've never really done anything about it so the jury wouldn't have been able to know if my act was genuine. However, because these guys have been living peace messages their whole lives and acting peacefully, etc it would've been clearer to the jury that this act was genuinely out of faith and for what they believed to be a good cause. Also, the media didn't cover anything about what the jury really heard, so it's ridiculous to be targetting them.

Our farming family was very pleased to hear the good news about the juries decision to acquit these honorable men.
We are very proud of these courageous individuals- taking a stand against the US Waihopai spy base in the South Island.
the spy base should be booted out of NZ. spying is not only intrusive into the lives of individuals and sovereign nations, but in this case, clearly the U.S. spying activities would have shown that Saddam Hussein had NO weapons of mass destruction, had NO ties to Al Quadea...instead the United States chose to lie and fabricate false reasons for an illegal invasion of a sovereign nation (Iraq)
killing and maiming thousands of innocent civilians (and of course the low income U.S. soldiers who foolishly went to war also suffered horribly)

Another proud day for NZ, leading the way in being nuclear free, GE free, and not participating in illegal wars/invasions (ala Iraq)

Hurrah for the jurors who acquited these brave souls.

Interesting in so many ways. One thing to remember is that democracy is not perfect and most countries have laws, procedures and agreements that are unjust, unfair and unethical. Unfortunately, often extreme action is necessary to cause change.

Unethical practices include most wars; human, other species, arms and drug trafficing; slavery; global warming; environment destruction; and so on. Recent and current NZ examples are supporting unjust wars, patients dying on waiting lists, certain criminal releases, water misuse, fishing endangered species, increased coal mining, and so on.

Perhaps our sense of personal security is threatened when property laws appear to be overridden in court. Do we really fear that peace protesters and greenies will sabotage services that affect our lifestyle? Or is our blanket respect for all law more important than international peace, human health and a sustainable planet?

Dangerous precedent to set for NZ justice system. Though I agree with the right to protest 100 percent, the trio crossed the line when property was damaged, regardless of whose it was. NZ now looks like a pack of village idiots in the eyes of the world, thanks a lot to the jury...

Most commentators here don't seem to get it. Intent and motivation are fundamental concepts in our legal system. This decision, more than most, demonstrates that the the NZ legal system is working as it should.

What a bunch of losers. So we can basically go round breaking the law when ever we feel like it and come up with a lame excuse that someone on the other side of the world was going to die. Please. Bunch of Red Neck Hippies.

My deepest condolences for the death of the NZ judicial system.