London Indymedia

Smash EDO Lebanon War Protesters Found Not Guilty

supporter | 28.06.2007 15:17 | Lebanon War 2006 | Anti-militarism | London | South Coast

28th June 2007

Smash EDO Press Release


Shout it from the Rooftops; Lebanon War Protesters Found Not Guilty

Two anti war activists who scaled the walls of Brighton arms dealers EDO MBM in protest against the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon last August have been found not guilty of Aggravated Trespass.

The action took place after reports of mounting civilian casualties in Lebanon. EDO MBM supply weapons components to the Israeli military including arming units for fighter jets used in Lebanon. The campaigners hung a banner from the roof reading ’16 CHILDREN KILLED IN QANA, LEBANON. EDO PROFITS FROM MURDER’.

During the case Director of EDO MBM Peter Davies, contradicting his own company’s website, denied that the company was acting unlawfully, or had supplied components to the Israeli military, and said that even if they had done, it would not be wrong, even if these components had been used in war crimes in Lebanon.

The District Judge refused to consider arguments showing links between the company and war crimes but found that the two protesters could not have heard police warnings to come down from the roof, and did not believe the Crown’s argument that the two intended to disrupt the operation of the factory. She said that the occupation of the roof was clearly a publicity stunt designed to attract media attention and had been very successful in doing so, having gained international coverage in the UK, France, Germany, the USA and even Iran.

The rooftop occupation of EDO’s bomb factory was the third since 2004 where protesters have been acquitted of all criminal charges, and found to be legally on the roof. There have now been nearly thirty failed prosecutions of campaigners protesting against EDO MBM in Brighton.

Michael Heyman, one of the protesters, said ‘the court’s decision today proves that peaceful protest is not a crime, Sussex Police’s attempts to stifle protest have failed yet again.’

For more info call 07875708873 or email  smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk

www.smashedo.org.uk

supporter
- Homepage: http://www.smashedo.org.uk

Additions

EDO MBM Rooftop occupation imc uk coverage from august 2006

28.06.2007 19:41

*


local rag coverage of court victory

28.06.2007 19:52

*


Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

London Topics

Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

London IMC

Desktop

About | Contact
Mission Statement
Editorial Guidelines
Publish | Help

Search :