Activists from the Cardiff Anarchist Network took part in the Campaign Against the Arms Trade’s demonstration at the BAE Systems munitions factory at Glascoed, Gwent, on Saturday, March 1st. The group of activists were met at the rear perimeter fence by one lone private security guard who promised that they would be ‘hurt’ if they came over the fence. Despite the rather pathetic attempt at intimidation, seven of the group easily scaled the fence with the help of a home-made rope ladder, and dressed in the appropriate white overalls, proceeded to make an inspection of the site. After splitting up into three different groups, one pair were followed around the woods for half an hour by the security guard and a policeman, while another group managed to penetrate to the centre of the site, entering factory buildings and then locking themselves to some doors. The most imaginative weapons inspector managed to evade detection for more than an hour, running around a site that manufactures everything from bullets to depleted uranium shells. After the police finally managed to escort all the ‘inspectors’ from the site, the activists returned and proceeded to cut several large holes in the chain-link fence that ‘protects’ the high security site from intruders. Three of the group again gained entry to the site, but this time the reaction was more aggressive, with one person punched by a private security guard and wrestled to the ground in a choke-hold that nearly left him unconscious. One of the activists was arrested and taken to Abergavenny police station, but later released without further action, as BAE did not wish to press charges. Lesson? The arms trade is so ashamed of the bloody business of death & destruction in which they deal that they are scared even to prosecute a rag-tag bunch of anarchist protestors for trespass and criminal damage, fearing the negative publicity that it would garner them. Lessons for us all? Don’t be scared of fences – jump ‘em and expose the dirty dealings of BAE! Cardiff Anarchist Network: http://us.geocities.com/bozavine/can/ CAAT: http://www.caat.org.uk/campaigns/site-unseen/introduction.php