Anti-Arms Trade Campaigners on trial for singing 'We are the Champions'

Between the 10-18th of March four anti-arms trade campaigners are standing trial for their participation in a 'bad karaoke' demonstration outside Brighton arms manifacturers EDO-MBM. The defendants were arrested in October under section 235 of the local Government act, a council byelaw which is supposed to be used to deal with street noise in residential areas.

The four were demonstrating against the use of weapons components, manufactured by the Brighton based factory, in war crimes in Iraq and Palestine. The protest was part of a four year long campaign aimed at closing down EDO. They were arrested for singing 'We are the Champions' on a portable Karaoke system at the company premises in Mouslecoomb.

Their arrests were part of an ongoing police strategy to use council byelaws against peaceful protesters. During a case two weeks ago of a woman arrested for singing at a demonstration Pam Rose, barrister for the defendant, said 'arresting people for singing and shouting slogans is a step away from democracy'.

Andrew Beckett, press spokesperson for the Smash EDO campaign, said "This is yet another example of Sussex Police's biased political policing. Brighton and Hove Council never intended their byelaws to be used to stem freedom of expression. This is a blatant misuse of the law"

Chloe Marsh said "It is outrageous how the law can be used to criminalise people who protest through singing karaoke while there seems to be no way of bringing people who produce weapons used to kill civilians in Gaza and Iraq to justice".

Interviews and photos available

For more info contact Andrew Beckett or Chloe Marsh

tel 07875708873 or email  smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk

Original press release -  http://www.smashedo.org.uk/pressreleases/Karaoke%20.html

 http://www.smashedo.org.uk/pressreleases/Karaoke%20.html

Video of the 'bad karaoke' demonstration -  http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-smash-edo.html

Notes for Journalists

EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S arms conglomerate EDO Corp. They supply bomb release mechanisms to the US and UK armed forces amongstothers. 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
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.