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Tempers flare at Regiment exemption tribunal

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Members of Bermudians Against the Draft congregate ou side the Anglican Cathedral Hall, on Church Street, before the start of an exemption tribunal. Photo by Glenn Tucker

Four Bermuda Regiment conscripts wanting to be considered conscientious objectors have had their exemption tribunal adjourned after angry scenes erupted.Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) campaigners Jamel Hardtman, Eugene Johnston and brothers Larry Jr and Lamont Marshall were told to leave the Anglican Cathedral Hall just 40 minutes into their Defence Exemption Tribunal (DET).Tempers flared yesterday as Lamont Marshall, the first conscript to take to the stand, tried to explain why he was a conscientious objector to mandatory military service.He told the panel of three about the “forced labour” he had experienced as Regiment officers forced soldiers to do things against their will. He talked about having to watch pornography, urinate in bottles at night and the attempted rape at knifepoint of another soldier.Panel member William Madeiros, a retired Regiment officer major, commended Lamont Marshall for speaking passionately saying he recognised his “deep desire not to be part of the Regiment.” He added “the challenges” within the Regiment must have been “pretty offensive.”Lamont Marshall said: “You call someone holding a knife to your throat pretty offensive? … It wasn’t your son, that’s why you couldn’t care less.”Mr Madeiros then told Lamont Marshall: “You’re very close to crossing the line,” which prompted Larry Marshall Jr to yell: “We’re never going to get no justice, I’m tired of this crap,” before angrily storming out of the courtroom.The remaining BAD campaigners then took to their feet and exchanged angry words with panel members. Comments such as “Don’t talk to him like that, he’s a man,” “You’re being disrespectful, this is ridiculous,” “You should be ashamed of yourselves” and “This is an absolute joke” could be heard.Panel chairwoman Cheryl-Ann Mapp then said: “In light of the turn of events, I’m going to adjourn the proceedings.”The campaigners told The Royal Gazette they had acted angrily as they felt Mr Madeiros’ “you’re pretty close to crossing the line” comment had been a threat.After the tribunal Larry Marshall Sr, the father of Lamont and Larry Jr, said he believed the tribunal had been “biased and corrupt right from the start.”He said: “I have absolutely no respect for this tribunal. They are a kangaroo court.“A former Regiment officer with a highly favourable viewpoint of the Regiment was asked to sit on a tribunal panel. That’s a travesty of justice and shows how corrupt this all is.“Saying the panel is objective and balanced is a joke. Their tone right from the outset was arrogant and condescending.“Then he (Mr Madeiros) had the audacity to say what he said. He took a very indifferent attitude to a vicious assault. He spoke to Lamont as if he was still in the Regiment. He provided himself unworthy to sit on a tribunal.”Larry Marshall Sr called for a complete overhaul of tribunals as he said only about one in 100 conscripts got conscientious objector status.He said: “They had made up their minds before Lamont even started speaking. He went to jail, he went on hunger strike, how else can he prove he is a conscientious objector.“He wasn’t ‘crossing the line.’ I don’t know what else my son could have done.“We’re not pleased with the outcome, unfortunately these young men didn’t stand a chance.“But we are quite used to this, the fight will go on.”For the last four years BAD has campaigned against Bermuda’s conscription laws saying it goes against a person’s right to choose what they do and how they devote their time.They have lost previous court cases based on human rights arguments, including an attempt to take their fight all the way to the Privy Council in London in February last year.Lamont Marshall was the only one of the four Bermuda Regiment conscript to get the chance to speak at the tribunal.He said: “I am a conscientious objector. My conscience won’t allow me to serve in any type of forced labour“For me being a conscientious objector is someone who objects to bearing arms or any form of military training or service.“I refuse to serve at Warwick Camp.”Lamont Marshall said he served one-and-a-half years in the Regiment from 2003 “when he was less educated and knew no better.” He admitted he was “no angel,” but insisted his golden rule is to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’He said 200 conscripts were “subjected to vulgarity” by having to watch a pornographic video at recruit camp which showed a man and woman having consensual sex while another man watched. In reference to the man watching without joining in, the conscripts were allegedly told: “This is the kind of discipline we’d like you to have.”Lamont Marshall also spoke of soldiers having to urinate in bottles at night as they were not allowed to go to the bathroom after lights out and one soldier being “flown 30ft in the air with his chainsaw going into other conscripts” after he was allegedly ordered against his will to “get his f****** a** up that tree” during the Hurricane Fabian clean-up.He also talked at length about the attempted rape of a soldier while a knife was held to his neck. The perpetrator was given 56 days in military prison at Warwick Camp.Lamont Marshall said he and his family had spent an “exorbitant amount of money” on the fight against conscription, he had lost his job as a Customs Officer, he had been jailed and gone on hunger strike.He dismissed claims that they were just critics as “time and time again we come up with plausible alternatives.” He called on Government to abolish conscription and replace it with a “full-time, full-paid and well-trained” Regiment.And he questioned the ceremonial role of Bermuda’s Regiment saying: “How many guys does it take to salute the Governor?” and also said “some accountant who goes to Warwick Camp every two weeks to shoot blanks” does little for the country’s internal security.Yesterday’s tribunal began with Ms Mapp quizzing Mr Johnston, who also represents BAD members as a lawyer, on why they had not shown up for their tribunal in June last year.Ms Mapp said: “We were here but no one else was here, it was a total waste of time.”Mr Johnston said they had not turned up because of Mr Hardtman’s educational commitments. They said they had also become aware of the Regiment’s involvement and a police presence at the tribunal hinted “another threat of arrest.”Mr Johnston added: “We do acknowledge that we didn’t attend and you felt a bit snubbed.”This tribunal had been arranged in a matter of days to coincide with Mr Hardtman’s unplanned visit to Bermuda. Mr Hardtman is currently studying overseas.

Photo by Glenn TuckerLarry Marshall Sr, of the Bermudians Against the Draft group, outside the Anglican Cathedral Hall, on Church Street, before the start of an exemption tribunal yesterday.