'EDO Must Close' Says South East England MEP
x | 15.09.2006 06:39 | Anti-militarism | Social Struggles | South Coast
South-East England’s Green MEP Caroline Lucas joined Brighton protesters outside the EDO MBM factory on Wednesday and called for the closure of the arms firm.
GREEN Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas joined a demonstration outside the
Brighton factory of arms manufacturer EDO MBM on Wednesday.
Dr Lucas took part in the weekly protest organized by SmashEDO, a local
peace group campaigning for the factory to stop manufacturing weapons
components or leave Brighton and Hove, a UN Peace Messenger City.
The South-East England MEP, who is also a member of the national council of
the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and co-founder and co-president of the
European parliament’ cross-party peace initiatives group, said: “EDO MBM
make components for weapons used by the Israeli military to attack the
civilian populations of Lebanon and Gaza – and for guided bombs used in
Iraq.
“Violent conflict and the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle
East is being made possible by a weapons factory in Brighton and Hove – and
it beggars belief that this deadly trade is being pursued here, in a UN
Peace Messenger City.
“What hope can there be of an end to the violence when these agents of death
are being built in a city which has become a global symbol of peace?
“EDO-MDM must cease making bombs in Brighton and Hove – and concentrate on
its non-military engineering work – in the interests of peace in the Middle
East and preventing war crimes and human rights abuses at the hands of US
and Israeli forces.”
Dr Lucas met demonstrators, local peace activists and Green
Party councillor Keith Taylor, Brighton and Hove’s UN Peace Messenger City
envoy .
A spokesperson for SmashEDO said: “We have been campaigning for three years
for EDO MBM to cease its military production. It is abominable that in a UN
Peace Messenger City weapons are being supplied to rogue states like Israel
who use them to commit war crimes against the civilian populations of Gaza
and Lebanon.
”Smash EDO will be marching to Brighton Town Hall on Saturday 16th September
to hand in a petition to calling for the council to condemn EDO MBM's bloody
business. The march leaves the level at 12 noon.”
“The Labour Party is in turmoil over Blair’s leadership, not least because
of the crimes against humanity his administration has presided over in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Lebanon and around the world,” Dr Lucas added.
“Blair – and those in his Government guilty of backing his war-mongering
policies - should be forced from public office in shame and made to answer
for theses crimes against international law.”
“Tens of thousands have died around the world as a direct result of this
Government’s military misadventures and complicity with those of, amongst
others, Israel and the US, and justice can only be served by pulling the
troops of Iraq and forcing those responsible for ordering them there in the
first place from Downing Street into a court where they can be tried for
their actions.”
EDO MBM’s military products include bomb racks, release clips and arming
mechanisms for warplanes. The firm has contracts with the MOD and US arms
giant Raytheon relating to the Paveway bomb system used in the invasion of
Iraq. They are a wholly-owned trading unit of EDO Corp, a US-based arms
corporation.
http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk
http://www.smashedo.org.uk
Brighton factory of arms manufacturer EDO MBM on Wednesday.
Dr Lucas took part in the weekly protest organized by SmashEDO, a local
peace group campaigning for the factory to stop manufacturing weapons
components or leave Brighton and Hove, a UN Peace Messenger City.
The South-East England MEP, who is also a member of the national council of
the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and co-founder and co-president of the
European parliament’ cross-party peace initiatives group, said: “EDO MBM
make components for weapons used by the Israeli military to attack the
civilian populations of Lebanon and Gaza – and for guided bombs used in
Iraq.
“Violent conflict and the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle
East is being made possible by a weapons factory in Brighton and Hove – and
it beggars belief that this deadly trade is being pursued here, in a UN
Peace Messenger City.
“What hope can there be of an end to the violence when these agents of death
are being built in a city which has become a global symbol of peace?
“EDO-MDM must cease making bombs in Brighton and Hove – and concentrate on
its non-military engineering work – in the interests of peace in the Middle
East and preventing war crimes and human rights abuses at the hands of US
and Israeli forces.”
Dr Lucas met demonstrators, local peace activists and Green
Party councillor Keith Taylor, Brighton and Hove’s UN Peace Messenger City
envoy .
A spokesperson for SmashEDO said: “We have been campaigning for three years
for EDO MBM to cease its military production. It is abominable that in a UN
Peace Messenger City weapons are being supplied to rogue states like Israel
who use them to commit war crimes against the civilian populations of Gaza
and Lebanon.
”Smash EDO will be marching to Brighton Town Hall on Saturday 16th September
to hand in a petition to calling for the council to condemn EDO MBM's bloody
business. The march leaves the level at 12 noon.”
“The Labour Party is in turmoil over Blair’s leadership, not least because
of the crimes against humanity his administration has presided over in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Lebanon and around the world,” Dr Lucas added.
“Blair – and those in his Government guilty of backing his war-mongering
policies - should be forced from public office in shame and made to answer
for theses crimes against international law.”
“Tens of thousands have died around the world as a direct result of this
Government’s military misadventures and complicity with those of, amongst
others, Israel and the US, and justice can only be served by pulling the
troops of Iraq and forcing those responsible for ordering them there in the
first place from Downing Street into a court where they can be tried for
their actions.”
EDO MBM’s military products include bomb racks, release clips and arming
mechanisms for warplanes. The firm has contracts with the MOD and US arms
giant Raytheon relating to the Paveway bomb system used in the invasion of
Iraq. They are a wholly-owned trading unit of EDO Corp, a US-based arms
corporation.
http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk http://www.smashedo.org.uk
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Argus article stokes tension before Saturday's march
15.09.2006 07:16
11:09pm Thursday 14th September 2006
Protesters to defy police
By Andy Chiles
An anti-war protest group will go ahead with a mass rally this weekend after ignoring warnings from the police.
Smash EDO campaigners and supporters will march through the centre of Brighton tomorrow and demonstrate outside Brighton Town Hall.
A heavy police presence is expected to monitor the march from The Level along North Road, Queens Road and Ship Street.
continued...
Sussex Police asked the group to discuss its route and plans so it could prepare adequate policing measures. The campaigners refused to talk.
Smash EDO spokesman Andrew Beckett said: "We are not negotiating with the police because we cannot trust them."
The force has warned that if it received no official notification of the protest it would investigate and prosecute protest organisers if it was considered necessary. The police ask for five days notice of marches and rallies to prepare for the events.
Mr Beckett accused the police of colluding with EDO MBM, the US firm his group wants shut down.
The police were criticised last month for the "excessive" number of officers monitoring a peaceful protest against Israel's treatment of Lebanon and Palestine.
The force said it had no way of knowing how many protesters would take part.
Sussex Police said yesterday it had concerns over the route Smash EDO had chosen and wanted to discuss it with the organisers. It involves marching against the traffic in North Road, a one-way street.
Police plan to negotiate with the organisers at the march.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "We want to facilitate the protest but also to ensure the safety of the residents of the city and minimise disruption to them."
Mr Beckett said the demonstration was intended to be entirely peaceful.
Smash EDO wants to close the Brighton factory owned by American firm EDO MGM, which makes parts for missiles used by the British, US and Israeli militaries.
11:09pm Thursday 14th September 2006
argoid