Weapons Inspection Update - EDO Brighton

Turned out nice again - despite pre-demo smears from the local rag and assortment of Tory wankers - Smash EDO succeeded in shutting down the arms factory for the day and a blockade and lock-on is still in place at Home Park Rd.

Banner outside EDO despite police cordon

Smash EDO has outmanoeuvered Sussex Plod, and the Argus today with a well worked campaign of direct action against the Brighton arms company. Around 60 'weapons inspectors' marched up Lewes Road and got to EDO ITT at around 3pm. Sussex Plod had set up a metal barrier blockade at the top of the Home Park Rd to stop protestors getting to the factory. This backfired after two campaigners breached the barriers and scaled the narrow gap between the metal fence and infamous verge. Once outside the factory they avoided arrest and dropped an anti-arms industry banner over the fence right in front of the factory. There is currently a six people lock-on with the arm pipes disguised beneath cardboard missiles on the march. Nothing like the detective skills of the all-new police liaison officers, hey lads and lasses. Get down there now to support those locked on.

Robert N Weatherley
e-mail: info@toryscumsmear.com
Homepage: toryscumsmearmerchants.plc.uk

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Well done all

16.07.2012 15:42

and for outwitting plod, fantastic work!

Solidarity

"outwitting plod"

16.07.2012 16:11

What by doing exactly what you said you were going to do, exactly when you said you would be doing it. How is that "outwitting" them ?

Bingo

@Bingo

16.07.2012 19:22

From what I can tell from this short report, by turning what the police had expected to be a site invasion into a blockade... and using the police's own barriers as part of that.

anonymous

Den time

18.07.2012 11:09

So you are saying that the total effect on EDO was zero because they had already given their staff the day off anyway because Smash EDO had spent weeks telling everybody when and what they would be doing, the only difference being that a factory invasion became a blockade that didn't blockade anybody or anything ?

Meanwhile the 10 year campaign against EDO has seen their profits rise, their sales increase, their staff levels go up and their market share increasing. Smash EDO is soon going to be rivalling SHAC as an example of a failed campaign that has been unable to learn from its past mistakes. Of course by pointing out the truth I assume the usual cries of "troll" will be made because that's now the rule here.

ian

So, what to be done?

18.07.2012 12:32

No, Ian, I am not going to call you a troll. However, some of those facts are not true. For instance, the Fishersgate location was dropped by the company and 25% of the business at Home Farm road closed in 2007. However, that is not really the point. Obviously conditions would have changed since they were bought out by ITT (one of the biggest arms companies in the world).

Question is, if you are not a troll but someone who do share some anti militarist sentiments, how DO you fight something as powerful as global arms companies? I think new ideas would be welcome. In the meantime, I think persistent campaign is the best we have at this time when not that many activists take any actual action at all.

If, however, you are not interested in resisting the arms industry at all, which I suspect, then why should activists listen to you rather than getting on with whatever can be done?

"how DO you fight something as powerful as global arms companies?"

18.07.2012 14:55

By the same method that has been proven to be the only one that works - through the political process.

I am strongly opposed to the global arms trade but I don't believe in pointless 'actions' that achieve nothing as they suck enthusiasm out of people and always result in failure (I refer you again to SHAC ). Smash EDO has been active for ten years and has achieved zero in real terms and at the cost of people who now think that their work was a waste of time.

Compare this with other campaigns where the focus was on changing the law.

MAG - 40% worldwide reduction in landmines, near total worldwide ban on production. No "actions" total focus on political campaigning.

Anti-Slavery Australia - three years of political influencing that resulted in the The Queen v Tang court case and eliminated slavery in Australia within the Chinese community.

ian

SHAC

18.07.2012 19:51

The SHAC campaign has not been a failure, due to concerted continual pressure from activists many companies have severed all links with Huntingdon and this has made it harder and more expensive for it to continue in the death trade.Not a single bank will touch them and i think its still correct in saying that the company has no bank account and all payments have to be authorised and countersigned by the bank of england. The companies profits have gone down and costs considerably up and with out the propping up of the government it surely would not exist. Failure, i think not.

the evil monkey king.
mail e-mail: cakeden@yahoo.co.uk

To Ian

18.07.2012 21:59

Thanks for responding and glad you have other ways to campaign. I don't think that everyone who have been involved in the campaign think it has been a waste of time -some might and that would have indicated that it was not their ideal way of working. They have probably gone on to find something that suits them better. Diversity of tactics is fine. As far as I'm aware Smash EDO have close contacts with groups who work on lobbying etc, such as CAAT and drone organisations so, just like in, for instance, the BDS movement, action, research and other campaigning is closely connected. Personally I find the information that comes out in court cases as result of direct action invaluable for research also: it it info you would hardly ever get hold of otherwise. Don't see why it would have to be one or the other - I do both.

Eight years of campaigning is only a long time if you expected a quick fix at the start I think.

And of course

18.07.2012 22:09

I am sure that not everyone on this site would agree that the only way to work would be through the current political process... This political system is the one which sent Tories across the world promoting arm sales in the wake of the various Arab uprisings. Disheartening process to work within for many anti arms trade campaigners!

campaigner

Working with the State

19.07.2012 13:34

I would sooner every campaign I had ever worked with failed then to compromise my principles by connecting with the State apparatus or its foot soldiers.

Our beliefs, our principles, our solidarity is our strength.

Anarchist