Five campaigners against Brighton arms manufacturer EDO MBM were arrested after some of them locked themselves to the doors of the factory on October 3rd (see previous press release) in protest against the sale of weapons for conflicts in Iraq and Palestine.

The five were arrested for minor charges on October 3rd at a protest at EDO MBM. However, their charges have were raised to 'Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage' which carries a maximum ten year sentence and must be tried in a Crown Court before a jury. They will appear in the Crown Court this Wednesday at 9.30am where the case will be transferred to. The trial will last for ten days.

Chloe Marsh, press spokesperson for the Smash EDO campign said of the charges 'The height of the allegations against the five are that they took part in a blockade of EDO MBM, delaying the opening of the factory, and that around the time of the blockade the front doors to the factory were superglued shut. The police could easily have attempted prosecution for 'aggravated trespass' or other Public Order act charges. Instead they have taken a political decision to prosecute for a much more serious charge that they have very little prospect of success in.'

Andrew Beckett, spokesman for the campaign said 'Ramping up the charges against these campaigners is a waste of public funds. They will now have to face a ten day trial in the crown court in front of a jury who would not have had to be called if the police did not insist on trying to further criminalise this campaign'.

Tel Andrew Beckett or Sarah Johnson on 07875708873
E mail  smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk

Notes for Journalists


The Company

EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S weapons manufacturer EDO Corp.From their base in Moulescoombe Brighton, EDO MBM manufacture vital parts for the Hellfire and Paveway weapons systems,laserguided missilesused extensively in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Somalia. EDO Corp were recently acquired by ITT in a multi-billion pound deal. ITT's links to fascism go back to the 1930s. The founder Sosthenes Behn was the first foreign businessman received by Hitler after his seizure of power.


The Campaign

There has been active campaign against the presence o f EDO MBM in Brighton since the outbreak of the Iraq war.Campaigners include students, Quakers ,Palestine solidarity activists, anti-capitalists and academics. Despite an injunction under the protection of harassment act (which failed) and over forty arrests the campaign is still going strong.Their avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton. They hold regular weekly demos outside the Moulescoombe factory on Wednesday's between 4 and 6.


THE FILM

On the Verge is an independent film about the SMASH EDO Campaign “In 2004 a group of Brighton peace campaigners began to bang pot and pans outside their local arms manufacturers EDO MBM in disgust of their part in the Iraq war. This has grown into the Smash EDO campaign, which has cost the company millions, been the subject of large scale police operations and has tested the right to protest in the UK.Using activist, police and CCTV footage plus interviews with those involved in the campaign, 'On The Verge' tells the story of one of the most persistent and imaginative campaigns to emerge out of the UK's anti-war movement and direct action scene.”