by smashedo -

Press Release – Smash EDO Citizens' Weapons Inspection of EDO MBM

On Monday 16th July 2012 at 1pm a group of concerned citizens from Brighton and beyond will be attempting to inspect the EDO MBM factory in Moulsecoomb to further highlight the factory’s complicity in the murder of innocent civilians around the world.

It has long been known that this local company has links with illegal and immoral arms deals and Smash EDO intend to hold them to account. Indeed a team broke in and successfully decommissioned the factory in January 2009 and then waited to be arrested by the police. At their later trial it was found that their actions were entirely legal which totally undermines the company’s insistence that they operate within English Law.

The two previous inspection attempts have resulted in stiff resistance from Sussex Police, who have refused to investigate war crimes being committed by the company.

This mass action is part of an ongoing “Summer of Resistance” which has seen almost daily actions by protesters against the factory in May and June and which will continue until the end of July.

Protester Howard Stone said “It seems every day we hear of attacks on civilians by fighter jets and drones around the world and I do not find it acceptable that parts to facilitate this are made in my neighbourhood”. SmashEDO wish it to be known that other events that may happen to be  taking place in the city that day are of no interest to the group. Our intention is, as ever, only to disrupt the Arms Industry and those who support its continued existence.

For more information, contact Smash EDO press spokespersons Chloe Marsh or Andrew
Beckett on 07526557436 or see smashedo.org.uk

by smashedo -

Summer of Resistance Callout for Actions

Smash EDO are half way through a Summer of Resistance against EDO/ITT  Exelis. The aim of the summer is to intensify the pressure on the weapons  factory, with as many actions as possible taking place between the 1st of May and the 1st of August. The more groups that take part the more effective it will be, so we need your help!

CALLOUT FOR ACTIONS:

So far, there have been things happening at or around the factory almost every day since the start of the summer campaign. Examples include surprise demos, reading of the names of the dead, a mass demo in town, phone and twitter blockades, pickets and occupations of Barclays, critical mass bike rides and reported night time sabotage at the factory.

This is a renewed call for groups to come and take action against EDO. With less than half of the summer to go, let’s see some actions!

by smashedo -

Reflections on the Tory smear campaign against Smash EDO

Smash EDO is a grassroots response to the EDO MBM factory in Mouslecoomb’s complicity in war crimes – a banner under which people opposed to those crimes can rally. Towards that end Smash EDO is currently organising a Summer of Resistance against EDO MBM.

Over the past few months Brighton and Hove Conservative Party (B&HCP) and, in particular, Robert Nemeth, Secretary and Deputy Chairman (political) of B&HCP and manager of the office of Mike Weatherley, Tory MP for Hove, have engaged in a smear campaign which has attempted to label our campaign as anti-Semitic.

These allegations, made against an anti-militarist campaign by members of the Conservative Party, a political party with a record of racism stretching across its history, from presiding over some of the bloodiest periods of British colonialism, to Enoch Powell and the Monday Club to Thatcher era use of SUS laws and Operation Swamp to the continuation of the locking up of child immigration detainees and Theresa May’s attempts to stop the spouses of migrants gaining British citizenship if they cannot prove their assets. It is a cynical misuse of another culture’s oppression aimed at undermining dissent and political opposition.

We, at Smash EDO, take anti-racism seriously and believe that making false accusations such as these for political ends shows a disrespect for the victims of anti-Semitism and a disregard for the continued need to struggle against racism wherever we find it. We have written this article to deconstruct and analyse the Tory smear campaign against us, not as an act of defensiveness, but in order to highlight the complete cynicism of the Tories who have sought to undermine us.

by smashedo -

Critical Mass against EDO

Smash EDO have called for three months of direct action to close down EDO MBM – From 1st May to 1st August 2012.

Getting ready to ride
Getting ready to ride

Outside Barclays in North Street
Outside Barclays in North Street

Outside Barclays in Preston Circus
Outside Barclays in Preston Circus

Noise demo outside EDO MBM
Noise demo outside EDO MBM

 

A critical mass was held on Wednesday against the EDO arms factory. Cyclists converged on the level and then rode into town.

First stop was Barclays Bank on North Street, a service provider to ITT Exelis, EDO’s parent company. A short picket was held. The mass progressed up to the clocktower and along Queen’s Road and London Road and held another picket of Barclay at Preston Circus.

The mass then started the long slog up the Lewes Road to ITT Exelis where a noise demonstration was held at the factory gates. One crap arrest was made for obstruct police at the factory. The arresting officer told us that he was sure he had the power to arrest he just wasn’t sure “which one yet”. Police also nicked a sound system.

The arrestee was released on police bail at 1.30am.

The arrest today is part of an escalation of policing in the last week or so outside EDO. We need your support. We will be outside the factory, remembering the dead from Somaila to Yemen to Afghanistan, Next Wednesday from 4-6pm – we need your support

by smashedo -

Anti-militarists march against attack on Iran

Over 150 people marched from North Street to Hove town hall today in protest against the threat of war against Iran.

The protest, organised by campaigners against EDO MBM, a Brighton based arms company manufacturing military components used by the US and its allies, began at Barclays Bank. Barclays is a service provider to ITT Exelis, EDO MBM’s parent company, and is the largest global investor in the arms trade.

Sussex Police attempted to use Police Liaison Officers to infiltrate the march and gather information about protesters. However, participants in the march took direct action to kick Liaison Officers off the demo and keep the demonstration police free.

Chloe Marsh of Smash EDO said “hundreds of Brightonians turned out to protest against the threat of a new imperialist war in Iran. Those who took part in the protest also effectively prevented Police Liaison teams from maintaining a presence on the protest.”

The lack of police use of force on this demonstration was notable. Much though Sussex Police claim that this is due to the success of their new Police Liaison Officers, in fact the Liaison Offers were not engaged with by the attendees.

Smash EDO are in the midst of a three month Summer of Resistance campaign against the factory and are planning a mass citizen’s weapons inspection of the EDO factory on the 16th July. The campaign will continue until the EDO factory closes down.

 

 

 

by smashedo -

Press Release – Smash EDO prepares for march against the prospect of war with Iran

Smash EDO have called for three months of direct action to close down EDO MBM – From 1st May to 1st August 2012.

Smash EDO, Brighton’s anti-arms protest group and its supporters will be marching through Brighton on Monday 4th June to protest against the continued presence of EDO MBM in the community and the recent aggression against Iran.

The demonstration is part of the campaign’s ongoing Summer of Resistance that has seen regular noise demonstrations, critical mass bike rides and direct action against the factory. The march aims to draw attention to Israel, the UK and the USA’s warmongering and reflects the campaign’s desire to build a widespread anti-war movement to counter the prospect of yet another brutal imperialist war.

Andrew Beckett, press spokesperson for the group said “Israel’s recent warmongering is disturbing at best. Their willingness to playwith fire and risk the lives of thousands in an attack on Iran is deeply callous. Support in the US and UK for such an attack is also deeply worrying. It is important that we build an anti-war movement that learns the lessons of the Iraq war in order to prevent further bloodshed.”

The march will assemble at midday at the Barclays branch on North Street (the market-maker for EDO MBM’s parent company ITT Exelis) and march along Western Road to Hove Town Hall.
For interviews email  smashedopress@riseup.net or call 07526557436

by smashedo -

Sussex gets a new political copper: Summer of resistance demo report

Smash EDO have called for three months of direct action to close down EDO MBM – From 1st May to 1st August 2012.

DF386 Stephanie Franks
DF386 Stephanie Franks

DF386
DF386

Don't Attack Iran noise Demo at EDO
Don’t Attack Iran noise Demo at EDO

 

On Wednesday Smash EDO held a noisy demo outside the arms factory against the threat of an attack by the US and Israel on Iran as part of week five of the Summer of Resistance.Last week campaigners had home visits from PC Sean Mcdonald and Stephanie Franks wanting to ‘talk’ about the upcoming “left wing social events” over the Jubilee weekend.

Sean Mcdonald, for anyone who doesn’t already know, has been the officer charged with monitoring of protest campaigns in Brighton, particularly the Smash EDO campaign. He has carried out his role with sociopathic gusto, finding out personal details about participants in the campaign through ‘friendly chats’ and through trolling sites like Indymedia. This information has been used in court case against Smash EDO campaigners and also in an attempt to get campaigners to lose their cool. Mcdonald delights in winding activists up in the hope that they will snap and do something for which he can nick them.

It seems that Mcdonald may be moving on to a new position and he seems to have handed over his official role of ‘events liaison offiver’ to Stephanie Franks (pictured below)

Franks was at the demo on Wednesday trying to ingratiate herself with activists and, when people refused to talk to her, sat hopefully with the demonstration (looknig markedly uncomfortable)

You may well see Stephanie Franks this weekend if you attend the June 4th Don’t attack Iran demo or the UK Uncut street party. Be wary of her…

The Sean Mcdonaldesque information gathering tactic of placing outwardly friendly and chatty officers on demonstrations to glean info from the participants seems to being expanded to other forces, it was seen at UK Uncut’s street party outside Nick Clegg’s house last week. Don’t be fooled

by smashedo -

Statement on John Catt's Judicial Review

John Catt had appealed against the retention of data on him by the National Domestic Extremism Database. Today his attempt at a Judicial Review failed.

It is no surprise to us that the courts have backed police attempts to counteract effective resistance to state-militarism and to corporate power.However, today’s court judgement effectively legitimises the monitoring and surveillance of anyone who takes part in protests, or raises their voice against the manufacture of weapons at EDO.Lord Justice Gross’s judgement states that Mr Catt’s involvement in the campaign, for which he has never been convicted of a crime, “belies any reasonable expectation of privacy, at least for the duration of the Smash EDO campaign.”

Gross goes on to justify the judgement by giving the example of the £300,000 worth of damage caused to the factory’s production line during Israel’s massacre in Gaza. He omits to mention that those responsible for the damage were found not-guilty by a jury on the basis that they had acted to prevent war crimes.

The campaign against EDO MBM will continue until the factory’s manufacture of weapons components in Brighton ceases.

The full text of the judgement can be found at  http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2012/1471.html