Three protesters glue themselves to factory gates in Brighton

Campaigners have blockaded the gates of a Brighton factory on the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

A group of Smash EDO activists arrived at the EDO MBM factory in Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, at 6am and three of them affixed themselves to the gates using bicycle D-locks and superglue.

They said that their action this morning (Tuesday 19 March) marked the tenth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war in 2003.

They said: “EDO MBM is one of a group of companies which has supplied Paveway missiles for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The company also manufactures a cable, the Field Replaceable Connector System, which is used on US planes known to carry cluster munitions.”

Chloe Marsh, of Smash EDO, said: “The case for war was put to people in the UK on the basis of an immediate threat from Iraqi WMD (weapons of mass destruction).

“This turned out, as expected, to be a lie. As a result, according to the Lancet, over a million Iraqi citizens have died.”

Andrew Beckett, from Smash EDO, said: “We are here to commemorate those who died in the aerial bombardment of Iraq and to resist EDO MBM’s continued supply of components to the US/UK military.”

Another campaigner, Jessica Nero, is challenging her conviction for aggravated trespass in an appeal at Lewes Crown Court today.

She will argue that when she glued herself to the factory’s gates in April 2011 EDO MBM’s business was unlawful.