Six peace activists face prison for "disarming" an arms factory: Support the Decommissioners' week of events:

Monday 19 October 2009

Thursday 22 October 2009

Monday 26 October 2009

Is taking action to stop the supply of weapons used for war crimes illegal?

On 17 January 2009, as Israel's bombs and missiles rained down on the people of Gaza, killing over 1400 people, six anti war activists from Bristol staged a citizens' decommissioning at the ITT/EDO MBM factory in Brighton. ITT/EDO MBM make vital components for Paveway precision guided bombs and Hellfire missiles, and bomb release clips for F15 and F16 fighter aircraft.

The decommissioners were trying to stop the supply of weapons used for war crimes. The decommissioners made their way to the top storey and threw computers and filing cabinets out of the building.

The words "War Criminals" were written on the walls. The disarming of the factory successfully brought the business to a standstill and caused a temporary halt to this section of the war machine.

Elijah Smith stated before entering the factory "I don't feel I'm going to do anything illegal tonight. I'm going to smash this arms factory so that it cannot actually work to produce parts for the bombs that are provided to the Israeli army which is killing children. The time for talking has gone."

Tom Woodhead, another decommissioner, said "Prison does not worry me. What does scares me is the international community's lack of ability to act in the prevention of grave war crimes".

Going to trial

The decommissioners now face trial on October 26th on charges of criminal damage and conspiracy as a result of their action. Following the precedent set by the Raytheon 9, who were found not guilty at their trial in 2008 for carrying out a similar action in the Raytheon offices in Derry, the decommissioners will be going to trial as the accusers not the accused. They will argue that they were acting to help prevent the crime of killing the people of Gaza.

There has been an active campaign against the presence of ITT/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 and over forty arrests the campaign is still going strong. Their avowed aim is to expose ITT/EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton.

Chloe Marsh, spokesperson for the Smash EDO campaign, said: "The citizens of Britain are no longer prepared to stand idly by whilst Israel commits genocide with the backing of our own government and arms. industries. Brighton is a peace messenger city. ITT/EDO MBM is an obscenity that must be removed from Brighton and the directors of this foul company ought to be tried for war crimes by the International Criminal Court."

Support for the decommissioners

A motion was passed overwhelmingly at the Stop War Coalition annual conference in April recognising that their trial and the campaign leading up to it will be an opportunity to expose the involvement and complicity of the arms manufacturers and the British government in the murder of thousands of innocent people in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. The conference agreed that StW would do all in its power to support and promote the EDO Decommissioners campaign.

The decommissioners are currently preparing their defence and raising money to pay for expert witnesses.

How you can support the decommissioners

• Messages of support can be posted on their website...
• Sign the petition on their website...
• Donations can be sent to PO BOX 6 , Booty,82 Colston St Bristol BS 5BB. Cheques made out to 'Decommissioners'
• Decommissioners are available to speak at meetings. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it