Edinburgh Claimants have destroyed armed forces recruitment material in an Edinburgh Job Centre in resistance to the threatened war with Iraq.

Group spokeswoman Ethel MacDonald said ”The army and other armed forces try to take advantage of uemployed people’s poverty. They produce glossy brochures, portraying exotic locations. The reality is killing and being killed.

“And what’s it all for? Protecting the interests of the rich - like safeguarding the oil in Iraq for the western multinationals.”

“We removed a large quantity of Army, Navy and RAF recruitment material from a city Job Centre. This has been shredded and was returned through the letter box to Leith Walk Job Centre on 26th February.

“We have heard Army recruiters in one of Edinburgh’s Job Centres tell a young man that he could spend his time in the Army playing football. We will not stand by while this vile propaganda is used to recruit the unemployed as cannonfodder.”

NOTES
Edinburgh Claimants are an independent self-funded group of people receiving benefits, such as unemployed people, single parents, people on sickness and disability benefits, and the low paid.
The group is based in the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, a self-managed resource centre which acts as a base for several grass-roots and direct action groups.

Edinburgh Claimants
c/o Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh,
17 W Montgomery Place,
Edinburgh.
Tel 0131 557 6242