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SouthCoast Indymedia

Police Ban Smash EDO film

Andrew Beckett | 17.03.2008 19:15 | South Coast


In a last-minute move Sussex Police have caused the Duke of York's Cinema in Brighton to cancel the showing of 'On the Verge' a documentary about local peace campaigners SMASH EDO. The screening was due to be at 6.30pm tonight (Monday March 17th)


According to the Duke of York's cinema they received an e-mail at 4.15 p.m today (Mon March 17th) from Martin New , a council environmental health officer. He explained that the police had reported that the film had not been certificated and therefore should not be shown. The Duke of York's were forced to pull the showing.

A spokesman for the production company SchMovies said “I am extremely disappointed but not entirely surprised by the police's action. As the showing of the film has been widely advertised for at least six weeks, not least in the Duke of York's programme any certification issues could have been dealt with well prior to the event. Our film although focussing mainly on the rights and wrongs of protest shows a number of examples of questionable police behaviour – Perhaps this is why they left their move so late”

Andrew Beckett, spokesman for the campaign said 'When the police are reduced to banning film showings via the back door another blow has been struck against our rights to free speech and free assembly'
Contacts:


Smash EDO Press 07875 708873
Duke of Yorks Cinema 01273 818549
Sussex Police Press Office 0845 60 70 999

Notes for Journalists:

THE FILM

On the Verge – An independent film about the SMASH EDO Campaign – View a trailer at

 http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge.htm

“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.”

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 missiles used extensively in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Somalia. EDO Corp were recently acquired by ITT in 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 of 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.




Andrew Beckett
- e-mail: smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.smashedo.org.uk

Additions

Another EDO MBM Director resigns...

18.03.2008 01:32

EDO MBM COMPANY SECRETARY RESIGNS AFTER CORPORATE MISCONDUCT


It is revealed in documents filed with Companies House last week that Anthony Roberts, Director and Company Secretary of EDO MBM Technology Ltd, resigned on 31 December 2007 leaving just three other directors (including MD Paul Hills) behind him after the company breached its legal obligations to file company accounts on time.

The 2006 accounts published in the last week, nearly five months late show they were signed off and ready to file in August 2007 but were deliberately withheld.

Despite Anthony Roberts resignation, the company only filed the accounts last week after at least two letters from Govt officials demanding compliance with the law which were ‘ignored’.

Speaking on 7 February Sam Hartrey of Companies House, an Executive Agency of the UK government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), said

“ We have written twice to the company, and they have failed to reply to our letters. They have given no explanation for their failure to obey the law.”

“ They have not made any request for extra time. They simply ignored us. In failing to file these accounts the company are in non compliance. They have given no reason for the delay.They are clearly committing a criminal offence”

EDO MBM incurred an automatic £250 late filing penalty last week due to the documents being over 3 months late but no-one has been prosecuted. In the same week EDO MBM filed full accounts for 2007, five months earlier than the October 30 deadline in what appears to be an attempt to redeem their reputation.

The 2007 accounts reveal EDO MBM's workforce dropped from 148 to 132 between 2005 and the end of 2007. The arms company lost 12 production staff in 2007 alone, as well as two long term Directors of the company.

In 2004 when the Smash EDO campaign began EDO MBM were listed in official records as employing 200 people.










infonerd


Film Ban makes Front Page News In Today's Argus

18.03.2008 11:53


Well done Sussex Police! Now the whole of Brighton wants to see this film.


 http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/generalnews/display.var.2126994.0.duke_of_yorks_cinema_forced_to_axe_antiwar_film.php

arg


Comments

Display the following 4 comments

  1. Great Publicity!! — churchst pixie
  2. projector? — KB
  3. good idea — bite
  4. Way round this — -

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