Smash EDO
Reports on the Brighton-based campaign against weapon manufacturer EDO MBM.
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Marie Vesco RIP
08-06-2008 19:24
Marie Vesco was killed by a car on Wednesday 4th June while cycling to Brighton. Active in various London social centres, Whitechapel and Brixton Food Not Bombs, she now had plans to open a new social centre.
Marie was part of a group of twelve cyclists who left Brixton in the early hours of the morning to join the Smash EDO demo. They were on the A23 by Burgess Hill when an impatient gas guzzling imbecile swerved across two lanes straight into Marie, then another car hit her. She died instantly, there was nothing her friends could have done. The driver of the second car got straight on his phone as soon as he came to a halt - not for an ambulance but to call his lawyer. He then started pushing Marie's mates around. One driver has been arrested.
Newswire: Marie Vesco RIP | Smash EDO Press Release - Death of Marie Vesco
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Timeline - SmashEDO Carnival Against the Arms Trade
04-06-2008 11:47
The SmashEDO Carnival Against the Arms Trade was held in Brighton on Wednesday 4th June. Over 500 people marched from The Level to the EDO/ITT factory in Moulescombe. Police plans to contain everyone in a pen outside a neighbouring unit were foiled, and protestors managed to get to the factory. The factory gates were mysteriously opened, and a police van attempted to block the entrance to the EDO/ITT car park but protestors seized the opportunity to enter the car park and vent their rage against the arms company. A few arrests were reported.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Video [1] | More videos | FIT watch Video
Arrests updates: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Smash EDO Press Releases: 10 Still in Custody over EDO Protest | Death of Marie Vesco | All Arrested Released Without Charge | Post Carnival Message from Smash EDO
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Smash EDO Carnival Against the Arms Trade
28-05-2008 23:36
Every bomb that is dropped and every bullet that is fired in the name of this war of terror has to be made somewhere and wherever that is it can be resisted...
On the 4th June, Smash EDO, a campaign group aiming to shut down EDO MBM, a Brighton based arms manufacturer, will be holding a Carnival Against the Arms Trade aiming to highlight the level of public opposition to the factory and be an oppurtunity to take creative direct action against the arms trade.
The Carnival will include live music, a critical mass and with a unifying theme of red. Smash EDO are calling for activists to come from around the country to join the carnival and help close down EDO.
Resources: Flyer for the Critical Mass | Webpage for the carnival - Info on accomodation and transport | Press Release for the Carnival | More Info about the Smash EDO Campaign (pdf) | Info about the Merger with ITT (pdf)
Links: Smash EDO | EDO MBM | Smash EDO Indymedia topic page
Previous features: On the Verge - The Film They Tried to Ban |Singers Arrested Outside Arms Factory | Smash EDO Action Camp: Shut down the Brighton bomb builders | Lebanon War protesters - Not Guilty! | EDO CORP: 2006 Alternative Report | 2007 Is The Year To Shut EDO Down | EDO MBM Injunction crumbles | EDO MBM desperate to stop protests as resistance increases | Smash EDO Take On The Law | Harassment Law Used Against Anti-War Campaigners | Campaign to Smash Edo | Arms company shut down
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On the Verge - The Film They Tried to Ban
23-03-2008 20:01
Police have intervened across the country to censor 'On the Verge' an independent documentary about the Smash EDO campaign to shut down the Brighton's weapons manufacturer EDO MBM. So far establishments in Southampton, Chichester, Bath and Oxford as well as Brighton have come under police pressure to cancel film showings. In Brighton police intervened to prevent a showing at the Duke of York's Cinema, just one hour prior to the scheduled premiere.
Using activist, police and CCTV footage plus interviews with those involved in the campaign, 'On The Verge' tells the story of one of the most persistent and imaginative campaigns to emerge out of the UK's anti-war movement and direct action scene. See trailers of the film here(mpg) and here (wmv). A torrent file of the film has also been created. To download a copy of the film and to know how to use bittorrent click here.
Spokesman for the production company SchMovies, Steven Bishop said "I am extremely disappointed but not entirely surprised by the police's action. There may be issues with certification but as we're not charging for entry this shouldn't be an issue. If the police really had problems over the certificate they could have approached us at a much earlier stage. Our film although focussing mainly on the rights and wrongs of protest shows a number of examples of questionable police behaviour – Perhaps this is why they left their move so late"
Meanwhile the "On the Verge" Screening Tour continues. Confirmed upcoming dates are:
24th March - Oxford. OARC
25th March - Bath. Friends' Meeting Place
18th April - Glasgow. - the Carnival Arts Center
19th April - Aberdeen. - Aberdeen University
21st April - London. - London Action Resource Center Tour's page for the latest information on screenings.
Related Links: SchNEWS report | SchNEWS podcast | Other SchMOVIES about Smash EDO campaign | SchNEWS website
Singers Arrested Outside Arms Factory.
10-10-2007 22:03
5 people were arrested after singing 'We Are the Champions' at a karaoke themed demo at EDO MBM's Brighton arms factory. The police reacted to the cringe-worthy songs by arresting some demonstrators under noise byelaws and then imposing conditions to prevent the warmongers hearing an encore. Those who didn't move along were nicked, while the sour-faced managing director looked on. | Video
This major police response to a bit of a sing-song follows a successful blockade of the factory last week. All doors into the building were glued shut and two people locked themselves to the front doors with D-locks. This forced the managing director to smash his own window to get in and delayed the manufacture of deadly bomb components, which loses the company both profit and popularity with clients. | Video | Update: 5 Protestors have been charged with 'Conspiracy to cause Criminal Damage', and face a jury trial.
As EDO's profits slide, the campaign against them is building. Campaigners are looking forward to the traditionally lively Haloween demo on the 31st October, when the ghosts of EDO' s victims (and a host of weird and wonderful beings) come to haunt them.
smashEDO protestors have observed that the police are using increasingly repressive measures to deal with the protests, and one compared police behaviour that was common prior to the attempt to injuct protests in 2005. At the hearings, it became apparent that the police had urged EDO MBM to seek the injunction. The case collapsed, costing EDO MBM much money. Since then the company's fortunes have taken a number of knocks. Campaigners have vowed to keep up the pressure until the arm's manufacturer closes the factory.
Links:
Peace Camp 2005 | Peace Camp 2007 | Student Blockade | Campaigners breach security | Court Victory for Right to Protest |
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Smash EDO Action Camp: Shut down the Brighton bomb builders
26-08-2007 18:32
From 27 to 30 August, Smash EDO held an action camp in the Wild Park, close to Mouslecoomb Station in Brighton. The camp aimed to be a time to hold creative direct actions against the arms trade and a forum to discuss the anti-arms trade movement, but on Tuesday afternoon police forcibly moved in and removed the camp's infrastructure using a nineteenth century by-law. Despite police repression most campers remained put, new provisions were brought in, and activists maintained the camp whilst carrying out a series of daily actions:
Timeline of Events:
Monday 27th: Opening and vigil (pix)
Tuesday 28th Morning: Rooftop protest | Afternoon: Police threaten camp | Tents standoff at smashEDO Camp | Camp still resisting and actions will continue! | Bikes against bomb factories
Wednesday 29th: Camp continues despite police repression | Demo at EDO 8am [Report] | Action Update at 6pm
Thursday 30th: Actions continue as camp draws to a close
Friday 31st: Final action from the camp outside EDO MBM in Moulescombe
Reports Still Coming In: Barricade Building and Attempt to Breach EDO's Security
Press Releases: Anti Arms Trade Campaigner Plan Action Camp | Smash EDO Camp Continues Despite Police Eviction Attempt
Details of the camp | Directions to the camp
Schnews Report: Tents Stand Off
Two Days of Action Against the Arms Trade
07-08-2007 18:18
Following a call-out from Disarm DSEi, a wave of autonomous actions against the arms trade took place around the UK over the weekend of 28-30 July, 2007. Actions included a protest at Heckler & Koch's small arms factory in Nottingham; visits to arms manufacturer Raytheon and mercenary company Erinys in London and to arms factory EDO MBM in Brighton; an Anti-DSEi stall in Brick Lane, East London, to raise funds for the Space Hijackers to 'buy a tank'; and protests at the MOD Defence Export Services Organisation and the adjacent armed forces recruitment centre.
But this is just the beginning; activists are flexing their muscles ready to take on the world's largest arms fair when it returns to the Excel Centre in East London on 11th-14th September. For further information, see www.dsei.org.
Links: Disarm DSEi | Space Hijackers | Smash EDO | CAAT | London CAAT
EDO CORP: 2006 Alternative Report
21-02-2007 18:45
On Thursday 22nd February the EDO Corporation released their report on the fourth quarter of 2006. The Corporation, of which the embattled Brighton based arms dealers EDO MBM are a wholly owned trading unit, has announced that it is operating below targets, (See EDO's Fourth Quarter Report)
Below is an 'Alternative Report' from the Smash EDO campaign. Brighton based EDO MBM has been the target of sustained protest and direct action since 2003. On Friday 16th Feb a group of protesters occupied EDO's car park and foyer blowing claxon horns and scattering photos of the carnage in Iraq. This was the second such action in the last month ( reports: (1) | (2) ). On Monday 19th Feb 8 students from Sussex University locked themselves to EDO's fence and gates delaying the opening of the factory and preventing deliveries ( see: Press Release | Photo Report ). On Wednesday 21st Feb protesters held a funeral procession and vigil for the victims of the US bombing of Somalia at the factory ( see: Press Release | Report ).
2007 Is The Year To Shut EDO Down
25-01-2007 12:54
On Tuesday 15 masked activists entered the car park and loading bay of EDO MBM, Brighton warmongers manufacturing arms for the UK, US and Israel blowing claxon horns and sounding sirens to signify that the Smash EDO campaign is not going away until EDO closes down 1 | .
View the video of the anonymous demo here .
Smash EDO plan to step up their campaign this year with weekly noise demonstrations at the factory, phone blockades, direct action and a week long protest camp this August. 2007 is the year to close EDO down.
EDO MBM Injunction crumbles
25-02-2006 14:21
Campaigners against Brighton arms manufacturers EDO MBM, have made progress in their year-long battle against the company's attempt to silence them with an injunction under the Protection from Harassment Act,1997. At a High Court hearing on Monday 13th february, EDO MBM agreed to drop the provisions of the temporary injunction which affected any individual who wished to protest against the company. Restrictions included a prohibition on filming by protestors, and a designated protest area which was a grass verge across the road from the Moulescombe factory. The verge backed onto a steep drop to a railway line. Over 30 arrests have taken place in the last two years as EDO MBM tried to quell protests. 2 protestors spent a week each on remand in Lewes prison for alleged breach of the injunction. EDO MBM's failure to impose a blanket injunction represents a major victory for the right to protest. The matter is yet to be concluded for 2 campaigners who have declined to sign undertakings, and are determined to challenge the whole manner in which EDO MBM, their lawyer and Sussex police acted together to bring the proceedings.
Plans are in place for a 'Victory demonstration' outside the factory on Wednesday March 1st from 4-6pm, and protestors have vowed to carry on with their campaign against the company which makes bomb release mechanisms and is involved in the manufacture of the Hellfire missile.
Previous Indymedia Coverage:
Schnews Coverage | CIA 3 case dismissed | Bombers Drop Boss | Rooftop three acquitted | Judge tells Lawyer to get Lawyer |
From the smashedo website:
Attorney General intervenes in EDO injunction | Peace Campaigner Remanded for Injunction Breach | Peace Campaigners Demand Police Arrest Local War Criminal | Protesters vow to Fight Injunction
