May is a busy month for SmashEdo Campaign.

The campaign against Brighton’s own bomb makers continues both in and out of Brighton. On May 15th EDO/MBM took part in the Electronic Warfare exhibition and conference at Olympia in London. This is a yearly get-together for hi-tech arms dealers keen to develop every moneymaking opportunity in the ever-expanding world market in death and destruction. A Samba band played for two hours and several activists occupied the ledge over the entrance to the conference centre holding a banner so that passers-by could see just what was being exhibited inside. Other activists easily got into the exhibition and after doing some 'information gathering' were able to disrupt it before being ejected from the building by security. One protester said: “We want to make sure that Olympia don’t invite these war profiteers back next year. If they do we will be back and we will shut the event down”.

At the factory itself Sussex University students staged their second blockade this year on the morning of May 21st. At 6am, while the Guardian Security guard was asleep in his car, 3 Students ‘D-locked’ themselves to each of the gates. EDO then had to cut their way through their fence to allow workers access to the factory. Simultaneous attempts to occupy the roof failed as EDO have recently made security modifications to the back of the building presenting new challenges to activists. EDO/MBM Managing Director Paul Hills was as usual standing at the factory gates and following a complaint from him Sussex University Student Union President Dan Glass was arrested under Section 5 (causing Harassment, alarm or distress). Paul Hills has been nicknamed Mr Burns by many protesters.

Another protester was arrested for aggravated trespass after he ran into the car park. One of the students locked-on managed to get away while the police weren’t looking and the two others had their details taken but weren’t arrested. One person not involved with the action had his video camera forcibly taken from him by police officers and ‘confiscated for evidence’. He said: “this is a new tactic by the police to discourage filming at these actions. This must be challenged otherwise we will find ourselves back in the position we were in 18 months ago when the injunction prohibited filming and security guards were able to assault protesters with impunity”. Lawyers who maintain that the police acted unlawfully have challenged this. Complaints have been made for police assault and theft and a civil action against the police will also be pursued.

Also on 30th there was an ultra-noisy street party at Home Farm Road outside the factory. Around 25 activists and two sound systems gathered together to make as much noise as possible. Once again Paul Hills stood guard over the factory gates and while police were very ‘twitchy’ there were no arrests.

The campaign has been active for nearly 3 ½ years now and shows no sign of going away. The weekly Wednesday Noise demos continue and in August there will be a protest camp near the factory (Aug 27th-30th) and people from around the country and from Brighton are encouraged to get involved. One protester said: “We are on the verge of shutting this factory down and it is important that we continue the campaign until this happens”.