Some photos of the Demonstration in support of Gary McKinnon at the Home Office on Tuesday 15th December 2009
Many of you will recognise the eight senior Members of Parliament, from across the party political spectrum, who attended this demonstration in solidarity with Gary McKinnon and his family, friends and supporters.
How much longer will the Labour government Ministers, and the Home Office senior civil servants, continue to impose their ill thought out, Kafkaesque, Extradition and Computer Misuse legislation and policies, both on Gary McKinnon, and on all of the rest us in the United Kingdom ?
From left to right:
Lucy Clarke - (Gary McKinnon's girlfriend)
Andrew Mackinlay MP (Thurrock) (Lab)
Chris Huhne MP (Eastliegh) (Lib Dem) - the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary.
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother).
David Burrowes MP (Enfield, Southgate) (Con) - Conservative Party Shadow Minister for Justice, who is also Gary McKinnon's constituency MP.
Chris Huhne MP (Eastliegh) (Lib Dem) - the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary.
Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP (Lib Dem) (Sheffield - Hallam) - Leader of the Liberal Democrat party.
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother).
David Burrowes MP (Enfield, Southgate) (Con) - Conservative Party Shadow Minister for Justice
Andrew Mackinlay MP (Thurrock) (Lab)
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother)
Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP (Leicester East) (Lab), Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs.
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother)
Kate Hoey MP (Vauxhall) (Lab) wearing the red scarf.
David Burrowes MP (Enfield, Southgate) (Con) - Conservative Party Shadow Minister for Justice
Andrew Mackinlay MP (Thurrock) (Lab)
Lucy Clarke (Gary's girlfriend) and Rt. Hon. Keith Vaz MP (Leicester East) (Lab), Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs. [picture credit: BedfordRed]
Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP (Lib Dem) (Sheffield - Hallam) - Leader of the Liberal Democrat party.
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother)
David Burrowes MP (Enfield, Southgate) (Con) - Conservative Party Shadow Minister for Justice
Other politicians in attendance included:
Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney & Shetlands) (Lib Dem)
CouncillorCouncillor Daisy Benson< (Lib Dem) (Greater Reading).
A young demonstrator from Belgium in support of Gary McKinnon.
Janis writes that this boy
had come over from Brussels with his parents for the day specifically for the Demo. It was his Birthday and he asked his parents to take him to London to demonstrate for Gary. All of the demonstrators sang Happy Birthday to him.
Janis Sharp (Gary McKinnon's mother) presents some flowers and a Letter to Her Majesty QUeen Elizabeth, at Buckingham Palace.
Janis writes:
The police on duty were really nice. After the Demo they walked up to the Palace with a crowd of us and the Palace police took me into the foyer of the palace with my flowers and letter for the Queen. The Palace police also took lots of flowers from other people presenting flowers and letters for Gary.
Lucy
That first picture, the man on the very left is Gary's dad.
Lucy
Pity Gary isn't an Israeli government minister then he could get away with being accused of War Crimes, let alone computer crime :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/6827382/Brown-calls-Livni-to-express-regret-at-arrest-warrant.html
TR thompson
I have repeated many times! If gary must face extradition for "inquisitive" searching of UFO Truth. Then I and many like me must also face expulsion from The UK. I have encountered three-seperate Alien craft two at twenty feet away and one at eighty-feet in the air. And believe me if there is any way to "broadcast" the truth about our extra-terrestrial visitors and dimensional-visitors, I shall do as Gary did and expose this US cover-up. Lets not be fooled here, Gary is being used as a Scapegoat! I repeat I am a Ufologist and if gary needs to leave then so do I!!!
Stuart Wakefield
I frankly find this whole ordeal disgusting. First and foremost is the ridiculous accusations of the US government. Firstly in any case you have to find motive, what would Gary's motive have been to cause hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to their military computers? In order to cause that much damage you have to have intentionally attempted to cause damage, i.e. corrupting valuable data, corrupting OS's and proprietory systems. Even then a fresh install is only 40 minutes away and a department with data that valueable should be performing regular backups. Whatever the case Gary's motives were to find data not destroy it.
Imagine leaving your car keys in your car on the street and it gets stolen, whose fault is that? Gary's actions aren't even akin to that level of crime, it would be more like leaving your keys in your car door, someone getting into your car, listening to all of your music and then leaving a note saying "Don't leave your keys in the car door".
The level of security US government employ is shocking and they should contemplate proprietory operating systems and file systems. Connecting machines with military secrets to the WORLD-WIDE web is asking for trouble.
In short, Gary should be tried for the minor crime he committed in this country as one of our citizens. America should have no rights to extradite and should be concentrating on cleaning up the mess of their security.
Stuart Wakefield
Also on another note, I find it interesting that the people that condemn his actions the most are the people that understand computers and network infrastructure the least. Unfortunately the people who site among the highest in the judicial process fall into this category.
I cannot help that feel that a few lazy IT managers in America have pulled wool over government officials eyes and the naivety of the officials has caused this inhumane and unjustified action against Gary.
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
I certainly support Stuart Wakefield idea.
Those with extensive IT knowledge, know that for a critical system as the military to have a default Admin account alive - is possibly the worst security blooper imaginable - so bad that it looks like it was possibly the cause of 911. I know that when I was on the .mil network pre 911 1997-1999 looking around, the thought did come to mind, OMG the security is so bad here, what if a bad hacker got in here and decided to use this gaping security flaw against usa? Or was it an inside job?
AND
Those officials and politicians out there that know that the reason why they are agianst open government and full-disclosure of public information is because this would mean the end of lies to the public and the end of linning pockets with public funds.
FEAR yes - fear the truth.
BUT
FEAR will set you free...
Stu
Apparently they still haven't learned the lessons:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8419147.stm
Oh, and Elle, if you're going to make allegations regarding something as serious as 9/11, please do us the courtesy of posting a link to some sources (preferably not from a website containing the word 'conspiracy' in the name would be ideal), otherwise we're left to assume you're probably delusional.
Not that I think that.
Obviously.
Merry Christmas.
Stu
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech. replied to comment from Stu
Well, I destroyed all the evidence long time ago - so other than my 'allegations' there is nothing to prove nor disprove, persue/press criminal charges - I'm a professional remember. Sorry to dissapoint.
Elle
TR Thompson
Hi Stu, you know there are some thousand or so top scientists researching on the swiss CERN project, and even they could not get it right first time! Why the furore over Gary? there is more behind the scenes than just a hacker breaking into US defense-mechanisms. Let gary go, he has enough problems to contend with. As a Ufologist and Occultist whom has encountered more than most, I feel gary is a mere tip of the iceburg! Because if the US get away with this extradition then much more will follow. There is a dark malevolent force behind this indictment, and I aint just talking men-in-black either stu! This government has commited more crimes against humanity than any one autistic-individual. They have no moral right to make judgement nor cast the first stone! As I said I am an ufologist and have encountered alien-craft, so send me to america with Gary, for I shall with all of my power unveil/unmask the truth of americas ufo cover-up!
Stu
TR Thompson, I am completely against the extradition of Gary and have campaigned in my own small way for a number of years against it.
A number of people have sprung up on this forum as its obviously a case in the public eye and they enjoy having a platform to make this claim and that allegation and thats all fine.
If you've got evidence that can unveil/unmask "the truth" and you think its convincing, you don't need to go to America - Post it online somewhere and provide us a link.
When it comes to the crunch, there are a lot of people here that talk the talk and then provide nothing to back it up - if that's how you like to spend your time, then that's great - I couldn't be happier for you, and Elle and all the others on here that, from what I can see are serving no purpose in stopping Gary's extradition or moving his campaign forward.
Cheers, and no offence intended. Merry Christmas!
Stu
TR Thompson
Hi Stu, and heres wishing you a "Enlightened" New Year. Firstly I am not using this forum as a "Platform" for my UFO Views. The Web is full of knowledgable and highly regarded individuals whom have stated their cases on that subject. I was basically "addressing" the fact that Gary is not alone in seeking the truth. Because he inadvertently broke into a defence "network" he is being chastised! I believe it is not a can of worms that has now been opened but a tin of withering maggots! And such maggots would rather sit scratching their backsides than discredit the so called home-office.
Netty
I have followed Gary's case with dismay. I am not qualified to speak politics, but I don't think you need to be in order to see the 'scapegoating' going on here. Is it the embarrassment of the so-called security experts that were out-witted by a man on his PC in his bedroom? It is only my opinion, but why isn't Britain insisting on trying Gary 'appropriately' in this country and instead offering him the job of improving international security both in the UK and US as it has been proved by Gary himself - it's clearly not up to the job!! (good job they found no evidence of links to any terrorist organisation or indeed any intent to do anything other than what he claimed to be doing - or he would really be in trouble!!)
My son has High Functioning Autism, he too is very intelligent and very articulate and you would think those things on meeting him. He is a very handsome little boy and physically looks completely 'normal'. However you would then find he has obsessions with burglar alarms and traffic lights and rituals. He doesn't always understand reasoning or the consequences of his actions. He also has a great many anxieties about very every day things that would be insignificant to his 'Neurotypical' peers. Referring back to Gary's case, is this how we treat people with a disability, particulalry one you can't 'see'? Would we put someone on trial with a more 'obvious' mental disability?
The Autism Bill has recently been passed in Parliament and is now law. How has this helped Gary McKinnon? How would it help my son should the need ever arise?
Families living with a disability have to come to terms with the fact that things will be different for them forever, that's hard enough as you often feel alone, but the thought that the law of this land might fail your loved ones to save face is utterly tragic and terrifying. It seems ludicrous that the British government, whilst supposedly unable to intervene for Gary, sets a convicted bomber, a murderer of innocents free to die in his own country? I don't want to sound harsh, but I believe he is still enjoying his freedom?
This is a travesty, never give up the fight, huge respect to Gary's Mum, we would all do the same for our kids, I just hope to goodness we never have to, but if this goes ahead, we should all live in fear of the possibility this could happen to us.
chris
This is simply ridiculous. Whether you agree or not with what Gary did, he BROKE THE LAW! Since when do we decide when it is ok to break the law - either in this country or another. If he did nothing wrong, the trial will prove that and he will be set free. Stop getting swept along like sheep and making out that he is some poor little lad who accidently stumbled into this data. Whether the system was very secure or not, HE WAS NOT AUTHORISED TO BE IN THERE, therefore he was breaking the law.
Gary - sorry fella. This is what happens.
fg
@ chris - after over 7 years of legal wrangling and political delays, it is obviously nowhere near as simple as you portray.
Where do you think Gary should be given a fair trial tried in Court, on actual evidence, for his alleged crimes ?
Most people in the UK, including the senior politicians mentioned above, think that he should be tried here, in an English court, not in the USA.
Godiva
@ Chris and all the others who only seem to be able to think in binary: in supposedly civilised democratic countries there is this thing called the rule of law; one of the cornerstones of the rule of law is that it should be applied in proportion to the crime. Otherwise why not just chop any offender's head off?
This whole issue is not about Gary's alleged wrongdoing, OK?
Netty
Hi Chris, I wasn't suggesting that anyone should get away with breaking the law, you are right Gary should not have been in the system and did not accidently stumble into it. However, I think most people think he should have a fair trial in the UK, if found guilty given a sentence that is appropriate to the crime and not given over to the US and given what equates to 2 life sentences!particularly as this would be hugely detrimental to his mental health. You clearly know nothing about Autism, perhaps if you did you would realise how wrong this is on so many levels.
Ali
I'm sorry, but if the US Department of defence can't defend its own computer systems from some joint smoker on a dial up modem, what defence could they possibly have against professional Chinese or Iranian military hackers?
They just want to make an example out of him, and America wants the world to learn that if ANYONE, ANYWHERE messes with the Americans computer systems they should be locked away and throw away the key! This is rediculous!
The Americans should take better care next time not to ghost a million copies of windows with blank group administrator passwords!
Besides, this case is so old now it should just be thrown out. How do you expect every Naval computer operative who was there when this cyber attack actually happened to remember all the details? If there was any other court case and you ask jo blogs to accurately remember his/her witness testimony on a day that happened nearly ten years ago now, the defence would argue that it was such a long time ago, maybe they had forgotten or their memory had become corrupted over time.
What scares me most of all is how shambolic international law really is and maybe the politicians will use Gary Mckinnon as an example of why we need a Global Court and Justice system.
Besides, why should another countries laws be enforced upon another country when the crime supposedly happened here?
Gary Mckinnon hacked the United states from his own computer in his home in Great Britain. The crime was committed on British soil and should be dealt with in a British court irrespective of where those 0s and 1s ended up after he hit the enter key.
I think it is outrageous that the politicians and their "special relationship" with the United States gets in the way of justice. It took them under a week to catch the failed london bomber and bring him back to Britain to be remanded in Belmarsh. Why has it taken 10 years for this one to be dealt with?
Oh but then they might say Gary Mckinnon is a TERRORIST, then they can ship him off to Guantanamo without trial. But because he is white, British and doesn't go to a mosque, they are nice to him and give him bail.
I think there should be a fair trial for this man and he should be tried under English Law for a crime committed in England.
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
Reply to Stu ;
There are a few things you need to know, as I have been an active supporter of the Gary McKinnon case for seven years.
Considering myself an IT professional pessesing secondary education in Industrial Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, owner of the Canadian 2600 domain, I am not interested in further tarnishing my already tarnished reputation further. Yes, I am a hacker, yes I have been all over the inner networks of the military and others. And I have seen alot of things that are hidden from the public that I can nor prove nor disprove. And I have been beaten by cops for obviously not ining/offending the usa cyber force. My name is blacklisted in Canada - jobbless - so I have no choice but to be a businesswoman. The military watch my servers and surfing habits, looking... For me to admit to being online is endangering myself already and the extradition legal situation is not promising as you see with Gary's case.
YOU are delusional if you think I would have one shred of evidence laying around, take a chance to see guantanamo myself just so I can prove to you my claims. I am sticking my neck out far enough already to try to help Gary. Or else pass me a million bucks and a legal team and I'll get you what you want. Otherwise you and others should think about what is being hidden, why it is being hidden and what you should do to end the secrecy. Instead of playing stupid.
Hi Solo!
Elle
TR Thompson
Hi chris, there seems to be some dispute over "Breaking the Law"? would you consider "tapping ones phone line" as breaking the law? Because the so called security services are constantly tapping mine! Maybe because Im after infiltrating Truth, truth which in todays sophisticated climate of computerised technology should not be available? that is to say that a Defense system is only as good as its programmer. And "as we know" microsoft is continually developing new PC technology every minute. Therefore this american-defence system is or will be "out of date", and has "of course" been re-programmed against a future threat which might compromise security! You see can the US "categorically-state" that now no person can ever break into their defense system? I doubt it! So poor Gary is being pursued on a pretense, the US by programming a new system have showed it has "flaws" which can at anytime be infiltrated. The entire case against gary should be dropped.
Matthew
Do we know when Gary is going to be sent yet?
I have not heard anymore about this appeal that they have 14 days or to appeal? Anyone know?
Its Slightly worrying the recent news about the uy in China being exicuted for breaking their law, I hope the Americans dont get ideas from this!
Gary having a girlfriend? Thats news to me, I havent seen her at any of the press conferences, or his Dad for that matter...
Just
Why isnt Gary in these photos?
He never seems to be in any photos of things that concern him. The only time I have seen him is on BBC TV News and on the Press Conference.
Why is he not here with the people ( And his 'Girlfriend') that are supporting him.
Nefertiti
It may be news to you Matthew, but he does have a girlfriend and a man did contribute some sperm in order to make him.
Sarcasm aside, neither she nor his father were on the 'panel' at the only press conference there has been, at Doughty Chambers for reasons that have nothing to do with anyone else.
Stu
TR Thompson - your post with all its "double quotes" was a little difficult to make any sense of, but I think you're saying that Microsoft are constantly updating their software so its gets out of date. Which, in Gary's case is irrelevant really. Look for anyone that isn't aware - Gary didn't really "hack" anything. He wrote a Perl script that scanned a range of military IP addresses for Administrator accounts without any passwords created. Then once logged on, he installed some off the shelf software that allowed him to directly view and control the desktop of those PCs. Eventually he got blase about how simple it all was, and got caught.
And I wouldn't agree that the "case should be dropped". Gary should be tried in a UK court under UK laws and our government should rewrite this one-sided extradition law.
Unfortunately our current government that has damn near bankrupted us has also proved to be completely inept when it comes to making any decisions requiring any backbone. For this reason, and 100 others I could roll off, I look forward to May 6th when we get to send a messsage once and for all to these people - we fell for the "New Labour" con trick in 1997 - it will NEVER happen again.
Elle - If the Americans were interested in extraditing you, I think you would have heard from them by now. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Happy New Year!
Arthur replied to comment from Just
That is a good point. I wonder why he doesn't attend these events which after all are held in support of him. Is he maybe under a curfew? Or prevented legally from attending?
Elle Hart
Happy Hackin New Year to ALL!!!
fg
@ Arthur - Gary is not doing media interviews at the moment for health reasons, so it is no surprise that he did not personally attend the latest public demonstration at the Home Office.
Anyone faced by a barrage of press photographers and journalists in public, even well meaning ones, is put under a lot of stress.
Normal
This is a hit and run. I actually came to this site to see what the supporters of Gary Mckinnon had to say. I won't be back. Most of the people on this site are raving lunatics. I hope that the authorities are monitoring you people and will pass on your information to the proper authorities in order to get you all the mental health help that you. Also, the sooner Gary Mckinnon is extradited and faces up to his crimes...the sooner he can receive whatever mental health he requires too. Once again, you people are all nuts.
fg
@ "Normal" - read this web blog's comments policy.
You are entitled to your minority, extremist opinion, even though you are insultingly wrong, and rather naive about internet monitoring by unamed "authorities".
Do not expect us to give you the oxygen of publicity.
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
@Normal
What's really nuts is the 50,000 children dying each day on the planet by starvation.
And all the insane things that go on that are related.
Such as the extradition of citizens to foreign nations withoout evidence for the crime of viewing concealed government information on free energy sources that would put an end to crude oil and capitalism that would make it feasable to feed the starving children and end global poverty and environmental destruction.
That is what is nuts...
Honeybear - never been trapped
O.M.G. - W.T.F. Glad to see that Gary is still fighting and obviously will never give in. That courage comes with age among other things.
Here's what wrong. There's group-think - nation-states such as the U.S. and then there're individuals, Gary's an individual. If you support the group, if you're patriotic, then you not only prevent the full development of the individual (by withholding information, etc.) and oppose everything except your group, but, you damage (weaken, frighten, intimidate, threaten, etc.), destroy, and kill everything other than your group. That's inevitable.
Europe and the West, which includes the U.S. is group-think. It's been group-think for more than 3,000 years before Jesus and from Christianity becoming the state religion of Rome, a little more than 300 years after Jesus and up to now. Christianity spread so rapidly and far until it became a state religion, because unlike all other religions in Europe, from essentially the beginning of history until now, individuals could have individual salvation. You no longer had to be a Jew or a Roman citizen or German or member of any other group to have a relationship with God.
That small window of opportunity for humanism has ended and Gary, striving for the full development of the inividual, wasn't told.
By the way, the group actually means the leaders of the group. They and their children will not be forced by military conscription or economic necessities into having to risk having their legs blown off or being blinded during combat in wars of aggression. If it was for the benefit of the actual group, 25% of Americans, including children would not being going to bed every night hungry.
One of the many ways that the Roman state turned Jesus's message of a personal relationship with God into group-think was by combining it with groups. So, the only people who are and can really be free or be saved and go to heaven, according to them and their victim-descendants, are members of groups: Freemasons, Illuminati, Skull and Bones, Protestants, Catholics, Pentacostals, Evangelical, Orthodox, Baptist or other secret, not so secret, and so-called true groups that're trying to control us today.
Gary, whether you know it or not, you're fighting for the fulfilment of the individual against the group. You're a humanist. I hope read up on humanism.
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
Extraordinary Rendition - By definition takes away all civil, human, constitutional and criminal protection rights from the citizens and makes it alright for the state to abuse civil rights like detaining someone without cause, apply petitions before a judge without any substanciated criminal evidence, refuse international rights under the geneva convention to basic human rights like fair trials and protection from torture or cruel and unusual treatment, denial of constitutional law that is based on the foundation of civilization such as the Magna Carta where we were guaranteed not to be expunged from the kingdom on suspicion or otherwise.
What Britian and other countries who support this legislation are basically saying to the individual "that you have no rights we can do whatever we want to you". So, therefore, this is 'High Treason' and they should be linned up against a wall and shot.
Elle
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
Supporting docs::
http://www.chrgj.org/docs/APPG-NYU%20Briefing%20Paper.pdf
Nefertiti
If you are in the UK you can text gary to 65000 to show your support. Standard network rates apply.
Janis
You can also text Gary to 65000 if you are in Ireland or the U.K. If you are outside of these areas you can still Text Gary to 65000 if you are using a phone bought in the U.K.
Numbers of Texts will be forwarded to Government to put pressure on them to refuse to extradite and to allow Gary to be tried in the U.K.
Under the U.K Bill of Rights Gary cannot be extradited as what's been done to him is cruel and unusual punishment which far outweighs the crime.
Our Judges, courts and Government should abide by our Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta which is still valid today.
Please Help us to #FreeGary from mental pain and anguish by texting Gary to 65000
to show our government that to keep Gary in the U.K is an election issue
Briar Lorenz
I recently paid near;y £ 100 to buy a new UK Passport because my old one had expired. Now I wonder why I bothered. Why do we have a government in Britain when it does not protect us?
Inside this now meanlingless swindle that serves just as another kind of tax on people, it says "Her Britannic Majesy's Secretary of State Requests and Requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance`and protection as may be necessary" There was a time when a British National arrested abroad led to the "War of Jenkin's Ear" - back then the Government took protecting us seriously. Alas no more. What this excuse for a regime - I cannot recognise it as a legitimate government - now does is to totally ignore this duty to protect us citizens who are taxed to support its fiddling of expenses and corruption and lying and breaking of promises to us.
The way they have let that barbarous country over the Atlantic terrorise and bully this young man, are willing to hand him over on ridiculous charges claiming unbelievable damage done to their badly designed and unprotected computer ssystems, just because THEY failed to protect their military systems, is a disgrace. Given his condition, of which the US and UK Regimes have ben made fully aware, it is unlikely he would ssurvive the ordeal they propose to subject him to over there, and this totally over the top punishment they want to throw at him in what passes for their courts, is shameful. The UK excuse for a "home secretary" - Alan Johnson, should be made to realise what a useless waste of space he is, and to feel fully the shame that he should for his dereliction of duty!
Gary did the stupid yanks a favour, showing them that their miltary secrets were not secret. They should be sent a bill for services rendered!!