Catholic peace protester jailed

Susan Clarkson, from the Oxford Catholic Worker group, was sentenced to 21 days in prison at Oxford Magistrates Court on Friday after she refused to pay fines of £1,235 for anti war protests at Northwood Military Headquarters in north London last year.

Ms Clarkson said in court that her "actions were both for the victims in Afghanistan and the young soldiers sent there" and that she did not want to pay the fine because it some of it would go to the military. The Magistrates were sympathetic but said they had to follow the rules.

Ms Clarkson was arrested on 28 December 2007 with other Catholic Worker members after daubing red paint on a sign outside the HQ, as a symbol of the blood of war victims. A year later on 29 December 2008, she was arrested again after entering the base to pray.

Susan Clarkson lives and works at the Saint Francis Catholic Worker House in Oxford, with refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Congo.