TRIAL Begins in Brighton/England of Those Who Decommissioned EDO During the Bombing of Gaza

EDO Decommisioners Trial Begins in Brighton/ England.....

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/07/activists-brighton-arms-factory-trial

 

 Activists plead lawful excuse for causing damage at arms factory

Brighton factory 'decommissioned' to prevent civilians being killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, court told

 

• Rob Evans

• guardian.co.uk, Monday 7 June 2010 16.38 BST

 

Activists claim they were legally justified in causing £180,000 damage to an arms factory as they were seeking to stop what they believed were Israeli war crimes in Gaza, a court heard today.

 

Eight activists were accused of conspiring to damage the factory in Sussex at the opening of their trial. All but one are arguing a defence of lawful excuse – that they "decommissioned" the factory to prevent civilians being killed by the Israeli military. They wanted to prevent arms being made there and sold to the Israeli air force.

 

They admit breaking into the factory in January last year, three weeks into the Israeli offensive against Gaza. The death toll from the offensive, called Operation Cast Lead, is disputed, although one Israeli human rights group estimates that 1,300 Palestinians died, many of them civilians. A United Nations investigation by former South African judge Richard Goldstone concluded last September that Israel, which launched the offensive in response to Palestinian rocket attacks, had committed war crimes by deliberately attacking civilians and firing white phosphorus shells.

 

The defence of committing an offence to prevent a more serious crime has been used on a number of occasions by peace and climate change activists.

 

Today Stephen Shay, counsel for the prosecution, told Hove crown court that five activists broke into the Brighton factory, owned by EDO MBM Technology, at night. "There is no issue between the prosecution and seven of the defendants that there was a plan to cause damage at the factory and that each of the seven was party to the plan," he said.

 

"Five … trespassers gave video-taped interviews prior to the incident stating their intent to cause damage to and 'smash up' EDO. This footage was posted on to a website known as Indymedia shortly after their arrest."

 

Four of the defendants read statements to police after they were arrested, accusing the EDO factory of aiding and abetting the "unlawful killing" and "slaughter" of Palestinians. They told police they believed that they had not acted illegally, Judge George Bathurst-Norman heard.

 

The eight who deny they conspired to cause criminal damage are Elijah Smith, 42, on remand in Lewes jail; Robert Nicholls, 52, Tom Woodhead, 25, Harvey Tadman, 44, and Ornella Saibene, 50, all of Bristol, and Rosa Bellamy, 23, Simon Levin, 35, and Chris Osmond, 29, all of Brighton.

 

Bellamy denies she was part of the alleged conspiracy. She, along with Levin and Osmond, were arrested outside the factory. The jury heard that Levin sent 77 texts shortly after the break-in, saying: "edo's getting trashed don't know who but I love them xxx." Equipment, including furniture, computers, and doors, was damaged. "War criminals" was painted on a wall.

Campaigners have for six years been seeking to close down the factory, which is the target of regular protests.

The trial continues and is due to last seven weeks.

 

This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 16.38 BST on Monday 7 June 2010. A version appeared on p12 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Tuesday 8 June 2010. It was last modified at 18.07 BST on Monday 7 June 2010.

 

• guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

 

The judge in the decommissioners trial at Hove Crown Court on day one said that the jury would need to know the historical background to the trial. He recommended that a short summary of the Goldstone Report be submitted to the jury as part of the evidence for the defence. This is a highly significant decision as the report is extremely critical of both the Israeli Defence Force and Hamas. It finds, in particular that war crimes were committed by Israeli F16 in its attack on Gaza in 2009. Outside the court room around 100 people gathered in support of the decommissioners, if you were one of them we are very grateful.

 

During the second day of the trial the managing director of EDO MBM was called to be a witness by the prosecution. Things got particularly interesting when Dexter Dias QC got the chance to cross examine Paul Hills on whether his company was supplying component parts to the IAF. Dexter Dias QC was determined the truth be told and brought several documents to the jury’s attention. Including the Zero Retention Force Arming Unit which used to be advertised on the EDO MBM website as being used in the IAF VER 2 which is the F16 bomb rack.

 

Check out this website for background on the action and updates on the trial......

 

http://decommissioners.co.uk/

 

A simple act of solidarity you could do would be to send a letter or postcard of solidarity to the defendant who has been remanded in jail for the past 18 months since the action......

 

Elijah Smith,

A3186AM,

HMP Lewes ,

1 Brighton Rd,

Lewes,

Sussex,

BN7 1EA

ENGLAND