Smash EDO Activists Denied Legal Aid will Defend themselves in Court

Seven anti arms trade activists who blockaded the gates of EDO MBM, a weapons manufacturer in Home Farm Road Brighton, have been denied legal aid.

The seven, most of them students at Sussex University, are being taken to court for aggravated trespass, an imprisonable offence, and will appear at Brighton Magistrate's Court at 9.30am on Tuesday morning. They have been denied legal aid on the grounds that "they are intelligent enough to represent themselves".

Chloe Marsh, spokesperson for Smash EDO, a protest group committed to shutting down EDO MBM, said "denial of legal aid is unprecedented in cases of this seriousness and is clearly a political move to make sure these people do not have a chance of defending themselves. Activists campaigning against EDO MBM have consistently questioned the repressive measures being used against them and the legality of EDO's business. The courts want to put an end to this and so are denying these defendants legal representation."

Simon Goater, who took part in the demonstration, said "The denial of legal aid is a political move to try to intimidate us from presenting a defence. We will challenge it on the basis that we are being denied a fair trial. If the appeal is not successful then we will defend ourselves."

The four year long campaign has sparked over fifty arrests, many of which have ended in failed prosecutions or acquittals.

The seven were arrested at a demonstration on 20th March 2008, the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq (See Previous Press Release - http://www.smashedo.org.uk/pressreleases/anniversary.htm). They formed a blockade by attaching themseves to the factory gates with lock-on tubes and bicycle d-locks. They took part in the blockade to highlight EDO MBM's role in the aerial bombardment of Iraq, which killed over 100 000 people. EDO MBM manufacture electrical components for the Paveway system of guided missiles, the most used guided munition in the aerial bombardment of Iraq accordng to Human Rights Watch.

Andrew Beckett, of Smash EDO, said "The demonstrators aimed to mark the anniversary of the invasion which has only made life worse for the ordinary people of Iraq. Since the invasion over one million people have died as a result of the bombing campaign and the internal chaos that ensued. It is companys lke EDO MBM, as well as the US and UK governments, who bear the responsibility for that."

Interviews Available with the defendants on request

Notes for Journalists

THE FILM

On the Verge is an independent film about the SMASH EDO Campaign

“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 missilesused 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 o f 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.

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