smashEDO

27th August 2007

Campaigners Occupy Site for Anti Arms Trade Camp

Anti arms trade campaigners have occupied a piece of land in Wild Park for a four day long action camp against EDO MBM, a factory manufacturing weapons for the US, UK and Israel in Mouslecoomb, Brighton, plan to hold a four day long protest camp in Wild Park from Monday 27th August. Activists from around the country are expected to attend the event and plan to take part in direct action.

A group of activists arrived at Wild Park late on Sunday evening and set up camp.

Andrew Beckett, spokesman for Smash EDO, said ‘we hope that the camp this week will show that people in Brighton will not tolerate corporations profiting from murder on our doorstep.

Campaigners will hold a vigil at the entrance to Wild Park on Lewes Road, close to the entrance to Home Farm Industrial Estate where the factory is situated, on Monday at 3pm. There will be a ‘Bikes not Bombs’ critical mass’ bike ride leaving from The Level at 5.30 on Tuesday. More events and actions will be announced throughout the week.

Photos and interviews available on request

Tel. 07875708873, email smashedopress@yahoo.co.uk

Notes for Journalists

EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S arms conglomerate EDO Corp, which was recently named No. 10 in the Forbes list of 100 fastest growing companies. They supply bomb release mechanisms to the US and UK armed forces amongstothers. They supply crucial components for Raytheon's Paveway guided bomb system, widely used in the "Shock and Awe" campaign in Iraq .

Campaign against EDO MBM
People involved in the anti-EDO campaign include, but are not limited to: local residents, the Brighton Quakers, peace activists, anti-capitalists, Palestine Solidarity groups, human rights groups, trade unionists, academics and students. The campaign started in August 2004 with a peace camp. It's avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton.