Around 500 people gathered in Brighton yesterday for the Carnival Against the Arms Trade. Protesters were able to force their way through several police lines and gathered in the car park of weapons manufacturers EDO MBM, whose offices were promptly redecorated.
Police used baton charges and pepper spray in an attempt to force demonstrators back with several people being arrested and held overnight.
And one copper got covered in paint.
Full report with pics here
New reaches us via urban 75 that Reed Exhibitions have finally pulled out of organising DSEi, Europe’s largest arms fair. An email making the rounds from Reed CEO Crispin Davies says:
“Last year we announced our intention to exit the defence exhibitions business, and I am pleased to inform you that the sale of these shows now concludes our withdrawal from the defence exhibitions sector.”
This has followed several years of protests from both anti-arms trade activists and academics who wrote for journals which were published by the company.
Whilst only a small victory, DSEi will still go ahead, it’s still a victory and shows that the years of protest in which many people were arrested have not been entirely in vain.
The arms fair will now be organised by Clarion Events – a bunch of bastards who are up to their necks in running shows for the oil industry. Seems they’ve moved forward in their quest to destroy the planet and murder millions.
Clarion are run by laughing boy Simon Kimble (pictured). For full contact details and addresses to tell them what you think of their most recent aquisition go here.
Sussex police this week ordered a local cinema not to show a documentary about peace campaigners SMASH EDO.
The film, which features the long running campaign against arms manufacturers EDO MBM, was due to be screened at the Duke of Yorks Cinema in Brighton on Monday night.
According to the cinema they were contacted in the afternoon by environmental health officers who told them that the police had ordered the movie not be screened as it had not yet received certification.
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”
Watch the trailer at http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge.htm
Landmine manufacturers and all round cunts Lockheed Martin are attempting to win the contract to run the next UK census.
Due to be held in 2011 the census will include new questions from big brother on income, place of birth and languages spoken (tip: don’t say arabic).
The US Patriot Act allows personal data held by companies in the US to be made available to intelligence agencies. Treasury Minister Angela Eagle has claimed this will not result in the US Government having access to data on UK citizens should Lockheed clinch the deal.
But then she would say that wouldn’t she.
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