Police arrested 5 people during a peaceful demonstration outside a Brighton-based arms manufacturer today. Thirty people turned out to demonstrate against the factory during a themed ‘Bad Karaoke’ demonstration. Over 40 police were present.

The police used a local byelaw to seize the karaoke machine and arrested 5 people, during a rendition of “We are the champions” one of them aged only 16. Although members of a BBC film crew were present this did not stop the police from aggressively arresting 3 more people. Police then surrounded protesters and pushed them away from the site of their regular Wednesday demonstrations to the bottom of the road.

Sarah Johnson said “We have been protesting outside this factory for four years. This is the most heavy handed policing we’ve seen outside this factory in over two years. Arms dealers EDO have used Sussex police as their rotweillers before and their efforts have ended in failure and humiliation for the company. This is a desperate act by a failing company. The community has shown time and again that this aggression will not silence us. We will continue to protest against EDO until it has been shut down.”

Press Contact Andrew Beckett or Sarah Johnson 07875 708873

www.smashedo.org.uk

Notes for Journalists
EDO MBM

EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole subsidiary of
huge U.S arms conglomerate EDO Corp. They supply
crucial components for Raytheon's Paveway guided bomb
system, widely used in the "Shock and Awe" campaign in
Iraq.

Campaign against EDO MBM.

EDO MBM makes electrical weapons components for the
Israeli military. EDO MBM manufactures components to
be incorporated into the Hellfire missile, which the
Israeli army has recently used to attack the civilian
population of Gaza . They have organised conferences
on the development of UCAVs, unmanned aircraft which
are widely used in aerial attacks on Gaza . EDO
Corporation, of which EDO MBM Brighton is a wholly
owned trading unit, has a direct contract with the
Israeli Navy who murdered 10 civilians on a beach near
Beit Lahiya, Gaza, earlier this month.

People involved in the anti-EDO campaign include, but
are not limited to: local residents, the Brighton
Quakers, peace activists, anti-capitalists, Palestine
Solidarity groups, human rights groups, trade
unionists, academics and students.

The campaign started in August 2004 with a peace camp.
It's avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their
complicity in war crimes and to remove them from
Brighton .

Contact Andrew Beckett or Sarah Johnson For more
Details

Email -  smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk, tel 07875708873

Contact Andrew Beckett or Sarah Johnson For more
Details

Email -  smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk, tel 07875708873