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Campaigners Decommission Arms Factory in solidarity with Gaza

Chloe Marsh | 17.01.2009 02:59 | Smash EDO | Palestine | South Coast | World

The Smash EDO campaign has been contacted by a group of campaigners who
forced entry into the ITT/EDO MBM arms factory early this morning,
Saturday 17th January. They destroyed equipment inside the factory that
is used to make the weapons used in Israel's wholesale slaughter of
civilians in Gaza.

ITT/EDO MBM, on Home Farm Road, Brighton, manufactures release clips for F
15s and F 16s as well as the Paveway system of munitions which are
currently being used by the Israeli military against civilians in Gaza.

We are witnessing a genocide in occupied Gaza carried out by the Israeli
military with weaponry supplied by the United States government. ITT/EDO
MBM, in Home Farm Road, Brighton, manufactures vital components for the
F-16's and the Hellfire missile that are being used to destroy civilian
infrastructure in Gaza contrary to the Geneva
Conventions.

More than one thousand Palestinians have been murdered by the Israeli
Army, navy and airforce since December 27th- more than one third of these
casualties are children. While Israel claims to be targeting Hamas
infrastructure they have targeted schools, hospitals, police stations,
United Nations compounds and civilian homes.

Chloe Marsh, spokesperson for the Smash EDO campaign, said: "The citizens
of Britain are no longer prepared to stand idly by whilst Israel commits
genocide with the backing of our own government and arms. industries. This
is a peace messenger city,ITT/EDO MBM is an obscenity that must be removed
from Brighton and the directors of this foul company ought to be tried for
war crimes by the International Criminal Court."

Notes for Journalists

The Company

EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S weapons
manufacturer EDO Corp.From their base in Moulescoombe Brighton, EDO MBM
manufacture vital parts for the Hellfire and Paveway weapons
systems,laserguided missilesused extensively in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine
and Somalia. EDO Corp were recently acquired by ITT in a multi-billion
pound deal. ITT's links to fascism go back to the 1930s. The founder
Sosthenes Behn was the first foreign businessman received by Hitler after
his seizure of power.

The Campaign

There has been active campaign against the presence o f EDO MBM in
Brighton since the outbreak of the Iraq war.Campaigners include students,
Quakers ,Palestine solidarity activists, anti-capitalists and academics.
Despite an injunction under the protection of harassment act (which
failed) and over forty arrests the campaign is still going strong.Their
avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to
remove them from Brighton. They hold regular weekly demos outside the
Moulescoombe factory on Wednesday's between 4 and 6.

THE FILM

On the Verge is an independent film about the SMASH EDO Campaign “In 2004
a group of Brighton peace campaigners began to bang pot and pans outside
their local arms manufacturers EDO MBM in disgust of their part in the
Iraq war. This has grown into the Smash EDO campaign, which has cost the
company millions, been the subject of large scale police operations and
has tested the right to protest in the UK.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.”

Chloe Marsh
- e-mail: smashedopress@riseup.net
- Homepage: http://www.smashedo.org.uk

Additions

UPDATE 02:50AM 17/01/09

17.01.2009 05:17

The six activists are still inside the building.
They are on the top floor throwing computers and filing cabinets out of
the windows. They are surrounded by approximately 30 police.

Chloe Marsh
mail e-mail: smashedo@riseup.net


Statements from EDO's Decommissioners

17.01.2009 06:49

Elijah Smith, 43 years old

“I'm looking at the world scene and I'm getting more and more horrified. I've been looking at the law and I don't feel I'm going to do anything illegal tonight, but I'm going to go into an arms factory and smash it up to the best of my ability to that it cannot actually work or produce munitions and these very dirty bombs that have been provided to the Israeli army so that they can kill children. The time for talking has gone too far. I'm not a writer, I'm just a person from the community and I'm deeply disgusted.”

Ona Wasabian

“I believe that ITT/EDO are making weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction that break international law. It is up to us citizens to make sure that companies and country do not betray international law”


unnamed Decommissioner

“Israel are committing a gross crime now in Gaza. Israel have killed hundreds of children. I think its absolutely disgusting that weapons made in in our cities and in our country are being used to kill innocent women and children. They have been used indiscriminately. If the law and the police cant do anything about it its about time somebody else did.”

The Decommissioners


Latest News

17.01.2009 06:52

The protesters inside the factory have been spotted throwing computers and filing cabinets from the top floor.
Around 30 cops are outside, and the management at EDO are mighty peeved.

There are rumours of eyewitnesses being nicked.

Super Smashing Great


PRESS ENQUIRIES

17.01.2009 08:56

call the Smash EDO press phone 07754135290

Smashy
mail e-mail: smashedo@riseup.net
- Homepage: http://smashedo.org.uk


'Operation Potato'

17.01.2009 10:33

The Brighton Argus report:  http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4055213.Break_in_at_controversial_factory/

Anyone who saw anything suspicious at the factory in Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, this morning is asked to call Sussex Police quoting Operation Potato on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Suspicious stuff being going on for years there, no? Time after time the cops have been invited to stop the factory aiding war criminals, and time and time again they have failed to do so. So now some good people have done it for them.

stop the slaughter


Raytheon Derry protestors meet cops

17.01.2009 10:47

Members of the Derry Anti War Coalition yesterday presented Derry's Police Chief, Chief Inspector Chris Yates, with a dossier of evidence demanding that Raytheon be investigated and charged with being complicit in alleged war crimes committed by Israel in Lebanon and Gaza.
The formal meeting yesterday at Strand Road PSNI station was the result of negotiations during the occupation of Raytheon's Springtown offices on Monday past by nine women members of the DAWC. Inspector Yates agreed to allow the women to walk free from the building, after they had chained themselves inside for three hours, and to hold a formal meeting at which a statement of complaint would be received and considered for referral to the Public Prosecution Service.
The DAWC statement alleges that Raytheon Systems Limited, and its executives and employees, including those employed in the Raytheon facility in Springtown in Derry, are guilty of complicity in the commission of war crimes, in particular those committed by the Israeli Defence Forces in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2008/9.
The DAWC is demanding that there is an urgent investigation by the Public Prosecution Service, with a view to bringing charges against Raytheon Systems Limited and its executives.
A spokesperson for the DAWC claimed: "Supplying the weapons that are used in a war crime is a crime in itself. We hold Raytheon responsible for supplying the weapons used by Israel in the murder of civilians in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as by the US and UK governments in the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We believe that a prima facie case that Raytheon is complicit in the commission of war crimes was established in the Raytheon Nine trial in Belfast last year. Their defence and ultimate acquittal by the jury, rested on the contention that they had not committed the crime of criminal damage as they were acting in the course of preventing a greater crime, namely the supply by Raytheon of weapons and supporting technology used in the commission of war crimes by Israel in Lebanon. The same is true today in Gaza and Raytheon should be put on trial for its crimes," the spokesperson added.

Daniel
- Homepage: http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/PSNI-asked-to-investigate-Raytheon.4884589.jp


Latest News

17.01.2009 11:38

WWW.SMASHEDO.ORG.UK

EMBARGO: IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10.30 AM 17th JANUARY 2009


For more info, photos or interviews call Chloe Marsh or Andrew Beckett 07754135290

email  smashedopress@riseup.net

MASSIVE DAMAGE AT BRIGHTON ARMS FACTORY.

Nine activists were arrested at a Brighton weapons factory in the early hours of this morning (17th). According to one witness computers and filing cabinets were hurled out of top floor windows as
a group of protesters broke in to the factory in the early hours staging a “citizen's decommissioning” of the EDO-MBM/ITT arms factory in direct response to the killings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military.

The activists barricaded themselves into the factory on Home Farm Rd, Moulsecoombe. Eventually 30 police arrived and they were arrested.

Elijah Smith, one of the protesters that broke into the factory, said ““I'm looking at the world scene and I'm getting more and more horrified. I've been looking at the law and I don't feel I'm going to do anything illegal tonight, but I'm going to go into an arms factory and smash it up to the best of my ability so that it cannot actually work or produce munitions and these very dirty bombs that have been provided to the Israeli army so that they can kill children. The time for talking has gone too far. I'm not a writer, I'm just a person from the community and I'm deeply disgusted.”

There have been a total of 9 arrests.

PHOTOS AND FOOTAGE AVAILABLE

Notes for Journalists
EDO MBM and the Israeli Military
EDO MBM/ITT manufacture vital parts for Israeli weapons systems – notably Hellfire missiles and GBU-28 laser guided missiles – being used for war crimes now in the Gaza strip. For a full analysis see How EDO Supplies the Israel Military on www.smashedo.org.uk
The Company
EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S weapons manufacturer EDO Corp.From their base in Moulescoombe Brighton, EDO MBM manufacture vital parts for the Hellfire and Paveway weapons systems,laserguided missilesused extensively in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Somalia. EDO Corp were recently acquired by ITT in a multi-billion pound deal. ITT's links to fascism go back to the 1930s. The founder Sosthenes Behn was the first foreign businessman received by Hitler after
his seizure of power.
The Campaign
There has been active campaign against the presence of EDO MBM in Brighton since the outbreak of the Iraq war. Campaigners include students, Quakers, Palestine solidarity activists, anti-capitalists and academics.
Despite an injunction under the protection of harassment act (which failed) and over forty arrests the campaign is still going strong. Their avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton. They hold regular weekly demos outside the
Moulescoombe factory on Wednesday's between 4 and 6.





Andrew Beckett
mail e-mail: smashedopress@riseup.net
- Homepage: http://www.smashedo.org.uk


Thanks

17.01.2009 12:37

Thats the first thing that's made me laugh in 3 weeks. I've got family in Gaza. Thank you.

Hijabi


UN calls for war crimes investigation!

17.01.2009 14:06

Jesus


Auntie Beeb why hast thou forsaken me!?

17.01.2009 16:23

But never mind, the Grauniad has reported it:

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/17/gaza-armsfactory-protest

Jesus


And finally the BBC...

17.01.2009 17:02

Jesus


Thank you, thank you, thank you

17.01.2009 19:43

This is by far the best news I've heard since the latest horror in Gaza kicked off. Thank you so much to the people who did this.

I'm guessing that there might be some pretty serious charges against these folk. We should all consider it our responsibility to stand in solidarty with them in any way we can - fund raising for legal costs, court support and so on.

They are an example to us all!

poon


Comments

Display the following 16 comments

  1. Well done — Daniel
  2. The only solution — Anarchist
  3. People like you.....warm up my heart :-) — Sparkz
  4. Woohoo! — Jesus
  5. fair play...that fucking great — in solidarity
  6. Crush the — of zion
  7. Great stuff! — Internation@list
  8. beautiful action, we need more people like you! — @non
  9. great action — aaa
  10. You beauty!! — (@)
  11. smash the UN — theorise
  12. UN — Daniel
  13. about — Ninja
  14. Smashing (ho, ho). — Bela Bartok fan
  15. Why the UN charter must be upheld — Tony Gosling
  16. well done! — dave

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