On the 16th July Smash EDO will be meeting at 1pm for a mass demonstration against the EDO MBM Brighton arms factory
The meeting point will be the Level.
The demonstration is focused on the production of weapons at the EDO factory in Mouslecoomb. The Brighton based business, a trading unit of US firm ITT Exelis, signed a contract with the US Department of Defence (DoD) on 26th June 2012 for the supply of Field Replaceable Connector System (FRCS) cables for US A-10 warplanes. The US Defense Logistics Agency has made the contract public and it can be viewed here – https://dibbs2.bsm.dla.mil/Downloads/Awards/SPM7M712D5011.PDF.
The A-10 warplane is known to carry cluster munitions (see USAF specifications here – http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=70 and a video of the A-10 dropping cluster munitions here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAPVORCBgUA).
Chloe Marsh of Smash EDO said “this new contract is yet another example of EDO MBM manufacturing equipment which is used unethically. In UK law it is illegal to facilitate the use of cluster munitions.”
Andrew Beckett said “On Monday 16th July we will demand to inspect the EDO MBM factory. The police have refused to investigate the lawfulness of EDO’s busines. However, we will not tolerate war crimes being facilitated by a company on our doorstep and we will continue to resist until this factory closes down.”