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Brighton Activists Shut Down Arms Factory

smashedo | 21.09.2006 05:17 | Anti-militarism | Palestine | South Coast

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2006 ANTI-ARMS ACTIVISTS ARE BLOCKADING BRIGHTON ARMS MANUFACTURER EDO MBM: FACTORY SHUT DOWN

EDO MBM manufactures weapons components for the Israeli army, who slaughtered over a thousand Lebanese civilians this summer and who are engaged in a murderous assault on the people of Gaza. Andrew Beckett, press spokesperson for the campaign said ‘we have shut down this factory so that it cannot go on producing armaments to be used against the people of Gaza. We will keep on causing disruption to the factory until it closes down permanently’. Yesterday was the United Nation’s Day of Peace, celebrated by Brighton Council by hoisting the UN flag at the Town Hall. Brighton and Hove is a UN Peace Messenger City. Sarah Johnson, press spokesperson said ‘it is hypocritical for the council to call this city a Peace Messenger City when local businesses are making a profit out of murder and suffering in the Middle East’ Smash EDO demonstrate every Wednesday at EDO MBM, Home Farm Road.

Brighton & Hove is a UN Peace Messenger City EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK trading unit of EDO Corporation, a US arms manufacturer. EDO MBM supplies bomb release mechanisms to the US and UK armed forces. They supply crucial components for Raytheon's Paveway guided bomb system, widely used in the "Shock and Awe" campaign in Iraq. Campaign against EDO MBM EDO MBM and the Israeli military - EDO MBM manufactures components to be incorporated into the Hellfire missile, which the Israeli army has recently used to attack the civilian population of Gaza. They have organised conferences on the development of UCAVs, unmanned aircraft which are widely used in aerial attacks on Gaza. EDO Corporation, of which EDO MBM Brighton is a wholly owned trading unit, has a direct contract with the Israeli Navy who murdered 10 civilians on a beach near Beit Lahiya, Gaza, earlier this year. People involved in the anti-EDO campaign include, but are not limited to: local residents, the Brighton Quakers, peace activists, anti-capitalists, Palestine Solidarity groups, human rights groups, trade unionists, academics and students. The campaign started in August 2004 with a peace camp. It's avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton.

smashedo

Additions

Followup

21.09.2006 11:01

The workers began arriving at around 6am, by 7.30 there were over 100 workers with their cars outside the factory. They were met by protesters who used megaphones to make the workers listen to details of the carnage that their weapons wrought in Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.

Later that morning the protesters bore witness to the surreal sight of the managing director, Paul Hills, having to climb the fence of the factory in order to get inside. He then returned brandishing an angle grinder, which he instructed an employee to use to cut a hole in the company’s own fence through which employees were eventually able to get inside the factory.

The factory was completely blockaded from 6am to 9.30am, stopping production for several hours. Having achieved this aim, the blockaders decided to unlock themselves before the police intervened. There were no arrests.

The protest is continuing outside the factory, which supplies weapons components to the USA and Israel. Spokesperson Andrew Becket said “Yesterday was UN Peace Day. These protests highlight the hypocrisy of a United Nations Peace Messenger City that is involved in the production of weapons that have been used to kill 1000 people in Lebanon and over 100,000 people in Iraq. It’s time that we live up to our city’s title and kick this deadly factory out of Brighton.”

smashedo


Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Shut down eh??

21.09.2006 09:04

And just how long was it shut down for then? At least you get to get home in time for another strenuous day on the social, you don't want to be missing This Morning do you?

John Smith


lets all sing...

21.09.2006 10:23

troll
troll
troll
your way,
gently round the net,

do you think anyone has taken any notice yet?

trolling away


nice one...

21.09.2006 10:43

Well done everyone involved in shutting them down! Let's keep hitting 'em where it hurts

impressed


Whip round needed to buy a watch

21.09.2006 12:00

Need to get your facts straight, tricky I know when you have to get up so early, but I've got email from the a worker who was at his desk at 8.30am, verified by the time on the email. I know you want to make the most of your little adventures but if you're not going to stick to the truth/facts we won't always beleive you in the future...now get back to bed and wait for the tooth fairy.

John Smith


John Smith's body is a covered in bullshit (repeatx3)

21.09.2006 12:56

" if you're not going to stick to the truth/facts we won't always beleive you in the future...now get back to bed and wait for the tooth fairy."

Yup - Indymedia is a service for arm trade flunkies and their mates ..... if you say that you have an email from your mate inside the EDO factory then it must be true, and everyone else must be lying.

What time setting is on EDO-MBMs system John? We should be told.

Have a nice day.

Paul Hills


Apologies

21.09.2006 15:00

I can only humbly apologise,

Firstly for the glaring spelling mistake with my speed typing of the word 'believe' I can see how it has undermined my whole argument. Naturally it would be hard to accept my credability and cast doubt upon my ability to tell the time.

Secondly I apologise for my facetious remark about watching 'This Morning' I had no idea that C Beebies was on at the same time, but alas they were not doing the segment on ...'When the big hand is on the 6, that means it half past O Clock' etc.

John Smith


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