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Brighton activists blockade arms firm

marjorie | 20.05.2004 18:35 | Anti-militarism

This morning activists blockaded the premises of arms firm EDO MBM, blocking traffic entering or leaving an industrial estate in Brighton for 4 hours. 5 people climbed onto the roof of EDO's building and dropped banners. At the time of writing this, one person is still on the roof.

Activists blocked the entrance to Home Farm Business Park in Brighton for 4 hours in protest at the arms firm EDO MBM (website:  http://www.mbmtech.co.uk/) which has premises there. The blockade was an ingenious cage made out of several sections of builders' mesh fencing, with people locked on inside it.

Five people climbed up onto the roof of EDO MBM's building and dropped banners demanding the arms dealers leave Brighton.

Police eventually removed the blockade and arrested 6 people who were locked on to it. They were unable to get the people down from the roof of the building. One came down voluntarily after several hours because he had injured his ankle. Three more came down later after enjoying the sunshine and unrivalled views of Brighton from around 7am until late afternoon. All these 4 were arrested. One person is still on the roof this evening.

marjorie

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

Nice work peeps

20.05.2004 19:33

And MBM - they make devices for releasing missiles on F16s I believe.

Nasty murdering scum

:(

freethepeeps


Update and BBC Pics

20.05.2004 21:31

Banners on the rooftop occupation
Banners on the rooftop occupation

Hello. I was the guy who hurt his ankle. It's broken and may need an operation, but hopefully not. I was arrested in the ambulance for aggrevated trespass and dearrested at the hospital - the coppers even pulled the classic 'we're just following orders' when I explained what aggrevated trespass was and why I hadn't done it!

I've uploaded a pic from the BBC news report - some of our own should be up tomorrow, plus some video hopefully. Tactically the action was highly successful - the company was shut down for the day. The final roof protester has now come down and has been arrested. I highly recommend anyone with a local arms dealer get 10 mates together and shut them down for the day, it's easy and if done carefully non-chargable ;-)

ARMS DEALERS OUT!

The man with the plaster cast


Nice one guys

21.05.2004 11:35

Sorry I couldn't be there - looks like it all came together nicely. Looking forward to the pics.

Keep up the good work.

Absentee


recalim the roofs

23.05.2004 12:40

Hi i am one of the "roof people", from this protest.

What might be interesting to people out there is the following- whilst up on the roof a copper in a cherry picker appeared, apart from other things he stated that we could stay up on the roof for as long as we wanted!, he went on to say that ther was no way, that he or any of his men were coming up to get us, as they werent covered by health and safety and they thought it too dangerous.(it would seem that this is general policy all over England)

This is in effect a loop hole and i suggest that we take advantage of it, instead of reclaim the streets how about "recalim the roofs", get a sound system, a pirate radio transmitter, a ladder, and some people, find your nearest arms dealer/or similar and party, and enjoy hours of uninterupted partying.

We spent 12 hours on the roof at edo, sunbathing, enjoying the views and taking the piss out of the police.

Five of us were on the roof, at one point when we looked down we counted 8 riot vans, five police cars and a helicopter, what a farce!

Highly recomended.

"The roof people"

roof person.


Roofs: spread the word

24.05.2004 11:30

Kulwant Sidhu was a PC who fell through a roof and died.

The Met commissioner, Sidhu's employer was prosecuted over this by (I think) the Health and Safety Executive.

So I suspect either the cops' employer, or their 'union' have a nation-wide line on not climbing on roofs for no urgent reason.

Excellent!

You can research this further by googling "Kulwant Sidhu"

Wicked action, by the way.

squatticus


Further action against EDO

24.05.2004 13:31

Maybe paint the whole thing red!
Maybe paint the whole thing red!

As a reminder to the employees at EDO 'Bombs R Us' of exactly what their work results in someone left a little calling card over the weekend.

Rollacoast
- Homepage: http://boob.safp.org.uk


biased and ill informed

24.05.2004 16:18

one of the most ill informed and mis guided bunch of reports i've ever read.

onlooker


biased and ill informed?

24.05.2004 22:28

Terribly sorry. Will start reading the Daily Telegraph from this day forward. Might just help buck my ideas up. How could we all have been so wrong?

Rolly


Great stuff

25.05.2004 09:51

I'm not sure what the 'biased and ill-informed' guy was all about. It make sme happy to know these closet murderers are facing some resistance. Perhaps the executives etc. also need reminding that the smart cars they drive are paid for with innocent life.
I think I need to find a roof to party on this summer!

gwil


Confused

25.05.2004 16:21

I have been following various anti-war protests alot this year and I am confused why others are physically damaging this company? Surely efforts should be directed at the government or raised with the council etc? I just cannot see how this type of protest helps fight this cause, it just makes everyone concerned (protesting) look really bad.

I don't agree with unlawful wars but at the end of the day it is the government making such decisions.


Neutral Colour


To 'neutral colour'

25.05.2004 18:25

"I am confused why others are physically damaging this company"

Because they boast about their pride in providing material support for the occupation of Iraq. They kill people for money. Corporations are institutionally psychopathic (see Joel Bakan - The Corporation) and only understand the language of bottom line - hiring more security, cleaning up paint etc reduces profits and thus reduces the financial incentive to murder.

"Surely efforts should be directed at the government or raised with the council etc"

Its not an either/or situation. Both are good. It is imperitive to target all of those involved in the ongoing murder in Iraq in order to bring the bloodshed to an end as quickly as possible.

"I just cannot see how this type of protest helps fight this cause"

See above.

"it just makes everyone concerned (protesting) look really bad"

A matter of opinion, but I disagree. Personally I think property damage to inhibit killing people is a no-brainer, that doesn't mean I've got the balls to do it myself but I respect and support those who do. And looking bad to who? The corporate media? They will only ever give positive coverage to largely ineffective actions (general rule) as they are part of the establishment that effective self-organisation threatens to undermine. We cannot be held hostage by 'what the press might say', but we should bear it in mind when choosing tactics.

"I don't agree with unlawful wars but at the end of the day it is the government making such decisions."

True, but EDO also made a decision to support that unlawful war, so they are also guilty.


Just my thoughts . . . hopefully you're a little less confused?

anti-imperialista


Call the company

27.05.2004 10:52


Here are the contact details for calling the company...

 http://www.mbmtech.co.uk/contact.html

EDO MBM Technology Ltd
Emblem House
Home Farm Business Park
Home Farm Road
Brighton
BN1 9HU

Switchboard: +44 (0)1273 810500

Managing Director: David Jones





no-war


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