Day 272 - 02 Jul 96 - Page 44
1 Q. You would request copies from Veggies to be sent to London
2 Greenpeace?
3 A. Yes.
4
5 Q. I want to read out something from the London Greenpeace
6 fact sheet to ask if you agree with it. I can read it
7 out. You do not have to look at it, but it is actually the
8 last paragraph of the London Greenpeace fact sheet, the
9 subject of action. It says:
10
11 "Who made this leaflet."
12 A. Yes.
13
14 Q. "The London Greenpeace group has existed for many years as
15 an independent group of activists with no involvement in
16 any particular political party. The people, not 'members',
17 who come to the weekly open meetings share a concern for
18 the oppression in our lives and the destruction of our
19 environment. Many opposition movements are growing in
20 strength, ecological, anti-war, animal libertarian and
21 anarchist libertarian movements, and continually learning
22 from each other. We encourage people to think and act
23 independently without leaders to try to understand the
24 causes of oppression and to aim for its abolition through
25 social revolution. This begins in our own lives now."
26
27 Is that something you would agree with?
28 A. Yes.
29
30 Q. Or disagree with?
31 A. I agree with that, yes.
32
33 MS. STEEL: Yes, I think this is the last question. Mr.
34 Gravett, you got a writ from McDonald's, you were one of
35 the people who originally got a writ from McDonald's, and
36 in 1991 an apology was entered on your behalf for the
37 criticisms made in the London Greenpeace fact sheet?
38 A. Yes.
39
40 Q. Did you -- well, why did you make that --
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why not simply ask why?
43
44 MS. STEEL: Yes, why did you make that apology?
45 A. I made the apology because at the time we were given
46 legal advice that the case, we would never get the case to
47 court because we did not have the financial resources to do
48 so, we could not get legal aid, we could not get
49 barristers, and without barristers it was unthinkable to
50 fight a libel case on your own. That was the main reason.
51 And if we lost the case at a later stage we would be liable
52 for costs and whatever damages the Judge decided and we
53 could be bankrupted. That is what we were told and that is
54 why I apologised. I did not apologise because I thought
55 the leaflet was lies.
56
57 Q. What was your view about the leaflet at that time?
58 A. Well, my view of the leaflet was, as it is now, that I
59 would stand by it, you know, I think it is accurate.
60
