NEWS

Good News in Decommissioners Preliminary Hearing

On Wednesday 4th March the three day preliminary hearing for the EDO Decommissioners ended reasonably well for the defendants. Effectively this hearing would determine whether they would be able to use the arguement that their actions helped prevent worse crimes.

The prosecution claimed that by causing over a quarter of a million pounds worth of damage to EDO/ITT the defendants in no way could have saved lives in the occupied territories. This therefore meant they had no right to a jury trial. The judge then asked the prosecution to provide evidence to substantiate such a claim, the prosecution had nothing to show.

The defence then came back to say there were two linked issues that required consideration.
i) The circumstances in which a judge may withdraw a defendant’s defence;
ii) Whether the facts relied on by the defendants’ amounts to a defence in law.

The points of law up for scrutiny were from the:

Criminal Damage Act 1971,
Criminal Law Act 1967,
The Common Law Defence of Necessity.

Judge Kemp returned in the afternoon with the court’s finding and took a favourable decision for the decommissioners. The issues raised by the defence, on all three points of Law, should be decided by a jury and not a judge. The prosecution then asked the judge if they were allowed to appeal, the judge refused although this confusingly still leaves the door open to the court of appeal.

It is anticipated that the prosecution will go to the court appeal to challenge at-least one if not all three of the decommissioners defences. They have a week in which to do this if they so wish.

Elijah Smith Was Moved Back To Lewes Prison.

Elijah Smith, VP 7551, HMP Lewes , 1 Brighton Rd, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1EA ENGLAND

Please send letters of support or visit to keep his spirits up. For those who can visit, times are 2pm-4pm daily.

Elijah Smith Has Been Moved, Again

EDO Decommissioner James Elijah Smith is now on remand at Sheppey Prison, Church Road, Eastchurch, Sheerness, Kent ME12 4DZ. Visiting times are 2pm-4pm daily, to book a visit call 01795 882272

For more info see the Support Elijah page.

Remember Gaza Demo Latest

Over three hundred black-clad protesters descended on the EDO/ITT arms factory in commemoration of last year's horrific bombing of Gaza. Meeting at Wild Park, the crowd carried symbolic coffins and a banner with a thousand handprints to represent those who died in Gaza during the 22 day assault. Most of the crowd had taken the advice and were very well masked up

The demonstration marched from there to the junction of Home Farm Road, where the factory is situated. At the junction the demonstration split into two, with hundreds of protesters breaking police lines and pouring up the hill into the woods behind EDO/ITT.

Another bloc of protesters remained at the junction, blocking access to Home Farm Road, and reading out some of the names of the 1417 people killed during the Israeli assault on Gaza.

The second bloc of protesters made it to the rear of the factory and some people breached the fence and got into the industrial estate.

Protesters commented that tactics employed by the constabulary on the day were best described as 'bewildering policing'. Despite the use of dogs and horses they were unable to stop the movement of the crowd. The demonstration stayed mobile, and, after word got out that the factory had been closed for the rest of the day, protesters went down Lewes Road to The Level, managing to outflank several police cordons. Around 100 people tried to go on to Barclays Bank, but got kettled as riot police and horses flooded into North Laine.

There were 5 arrests. Activist medics treated a handful of people for mostly minor injuries, although one of whom needed to be taken to A&E.

For more info on today's demo, checkout Indymedia. You can find their report and timeline here. Or, if you're feeling sinister, you can see The Argus' take on events. There's also a poll asking "Should Smash EDO be banned from protesting in Brighton" if you want to vote you can do here.

More to follow, when we have the time.

Remember Gaza Mass Demo - Brighton, Jan 18th 2010

From the 27th December to the 18th January we are calling on campaigners to take action against EDO's supply of weapons to the Israeli army. Our mass demo is on the 18th. However, here's some ideas for warm up actions in the weeks running up to the 18th:

Target Barclays - Take action against Barclay, market maker for ITT - the Target Barclays campaign continues. As the market maker for ITT Barclays Capital make a tidy profit from every share ITT sell - making them complicit in EDO/ITTs manufacture of weapnry for the Israeli army - for more info click here

Saturday 9th January 2010 - Remember Gaza infostall in Churchill Square, Brighton, from 2pm followed by Silent Vigil for the Victims of the Gaza massacre at 5pm

Wednesday 13th January 2010 - Naming of the Victims of the Gaza Massacre outside EDO MBM, Home Farm Rd. 2.30 - 6pm

Monday 18th January 2010 - Smash EDO - Remember Gaza Mass Demo

Noise Demonstrations

Smash EDO holds noise demonstrations every Wednesday outside EDO on Home Farm Road. However, EDO is closing over Xmas and we're taking a break too. The last noise demonstration of 2009 is at 4pm on Wednesday 16th December. The first one of 2010 will be on Wednesday 13th January which will be a special demo to Remember the Gaza massacre.

Target Barclays

Take action against Barclays, market maker for ITT - the Target Barclays campaign continues. As the market maker for ITT, Barclays Capital make a tidy profit from every share ITT sell - making them complicit in EDO/ITTs manufacture of weaponry for the Israeli army more

Update on 'No Borders' Blockade Case

Nine people were in court in early November for charges arising from a blockade of EDO MBM/ITT in solidarity with migrants during the Calais No Borders camp this summer. The blockade was to highlight the links between the arms trade, war and the creation of refugees. One defendant was found with no case to answer, two were acquitted and five were convicted of obstruction of the highway. They were given 12 month conditional discharges.

Carnival Against the Arms Trade Protesters' Appeals Successful

Two activists, Robert Alford and Elijah Smith, who were arrested at the Carnival Against the Arms Trade last June appealed their convictions last week. The court quashed their convictions for aggravated trespass. See here for full report.

Stop Press - Decommissioners Court Case Adjourned til May 2010

The court case of six people who broke into EDO MBM/ITT during the bombing of Gaza, known as the decommissioners, has been adjourned until 17th May 2010. This is due to delays on the part of the Crown Prosecution Service which have hampered the defendants ability to prepare their defence in time for the trial (originally planned for October).

Elijah Smith is still on remand in HMP Horfield. Please send messages of support to Elijah Smith, XP7551, HMP Bristol, 19 cambridge Road, Horfield, BS7 8PS

Please Urge Brighton and Hove Council to table a Motion against EDO MBM/ITT'S Complicity in War Crimes

Smash EDO has launched a petition for residents of Brighton and Hove to urge Brighton and Hove City Council:

Click here to sign the petition

EDO MBM, based in Moulsecoomb, is a weapons manufacturer owned by the American multi-national ITT. They make weapon components for the Paveway guided bomb programme, which was the most used aerial weapon in the attack on Iraq. They also own the patents of the Zero Retention Force Arming Unit and the Ejector Release Unit ERU 151, both essential components for the F16 aircraft’s VER-2 bomb rack, used by the Israeli Air Force against civilians in Gaza.
Since 2004 there has been a growing campaign against EDO MBM in Brighton. Campaigners have used diverse tactics to highlight and resist this murderous business in our city. There have been blockades, rooftop occupations, street theatre and hundreds of noise demos outside the factory. Thousands of people have also taken to the streets against them during nationally advertised events.

During the massacre in Gaza in January this year, the Green Party attempted to table a motion condemning the activities of EDO MBM/ITT at the full Council meeting. The motion was refused a hearing by the city Council convenor. A leaked document from the Green Party reveals that the reason given was that ‘the issue is not directly related to Brighton and has no bearing on the well being of the city’. On the evening of this refusal six people broke in to the EDO factory in solidarity with the people of Gaza, who were simultaneously being bombed with the aid of Brighton manufactured EDO components. In an attempt to ‘decommission’ the weapons they caused up to £300,000 worth of damage to the machinery aiding this atrocity.

We, the undersigned residents of Brighton and Hove, believe that the refusal to hear the original motion was wrong and disagree strongly with the notion that what is being manufactured and sold in Brighton is of no concern or relevance to the city’s citizens. We urge you to accept the tabling of this new motion and to condemn the activities of EDO and their complicity in war crimes.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Click here to sign the petition

Sign the 'Support the Decommissioners' Petition

This Petition will be handed into the Foreign Office prior to the trial of the decommissioners

This petition is from the 'Support the Decommissioners' campaign, a support group for six people who broke into EDO MBM/ITT in Brighton during Israel's bombing of Gaza in January 2009. By the 17th January, the night of the break in, Israel had killed over a thousand civilians By the end of Israel's aerial bombardment over 1400 people had died, including up to 400 children. Foreign secretary David Miliband has admitted that British supplied weapons were undoubtedly used during Israel's bombardment.

On January 17th Ornella Saibene, Robert Nicholls, Harvey Tadman, Elijah Smith, Tom Woodhead and Robert Alford broke into the EDO factory and destroyed computers and manufacturing equipment in order to disable the factory's capacity to manufacture weapons for the Israeli army.

War crimes, including murder, the targeting of civilians and the wanton targeting of civilian objects had been committed in Gaza during January. The decommissioning of EDO was intended to prevent the factory aiding and abetting those crimes any further.

EDO has been granted UK export licenses for components which are incorporate into the Israeli F16, including licences for the ERU 151, the bomb rack for the Israeli F16.

The decommissioning of EDO action was only necessary because the UK governmnent continues to grant licenses for the export of weapons components to Israel (either through direct or indirect exports). In July 2009, as a response to public outcry against British companies' complicity in ar crimes in Gaza. David Milibands revoked 5 out of 182 existing export licenses to Israel, leaving the majority of exports unhindered

Israel has persistently committed war crimes and crimes against humanity; during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, the bombing of Lebanon in 2006 and Operation Cast Lead in 2009. Despite this British arms sales to Israel are increasing.

We, the Undersigned demand:

- An arms embargo on Israel
- For all existing export licenses to Israel (either indirectly or directly) to be revoked
- An end to British governmnent purchases from Israeli arms companies (as these purchases help develop the Israeli arms industry)

Until these demands are fulfilled actions like the decommissioning will be necessary

Sincerely,

The Undersigned