Gaza protesters raid arms factory

Gaza protesters raid arms factory

news.bbc.co.uk

"The damage is significant and the value substantial."

Smash EDO said its activists had thrown computers and filing cabinets from the top floor and had staged a "citizen's decommissioning" of the arms factory "in direct response to the killings of Palestinians".

(visit the link for the full news article)


www.silobreaker.com

Very interesting, seems the protestors are scratching the nerve now.

Got to admit these guys (and girls) had some guts to do that.
They also got what they achieved... damage to ammunition production and the headlines. Now many, many blogs are talking about it and seems to be somewhat of a victory to the more pro-active anti-war types.



What does everyone else think?

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Good on them!

I'd rather see people damaging weapons then weapons damaging people.

I find this story incredible. Where was the security? An arms manufacturer, without 7x24 armed security?

Who's running the show over there? It could as easily have been terrorists breaking in and stealing everything.

Good for them! I would suggest that the company not press any further charges lest they want additional attention concerning this matter.

Awesome stuff!!! I think people all over the world should follow up with more action of this type, but alas in the US you would probably be branded as a terrorist and be on every no-fly list before you even are arrested.

Human rights violations must end.

Maybe these terrorists will be able to use the same Chewbacca Defense the eco-terrorists used when they wantonly vandalised the power station last year.

Hrmmm I was under the impression that Israel had gone in and blown all the arms places to bits....wasn't THAT what they have been doing all this time? How can there be a working arms factory left after all those tanks and bombs going off? Surely the men on the ground would have seen it first and blown it up.

reply to post by xoxo stacie


The arms factory mentioned in this thread is based in the UK.

"Protesters say weapons components made at the site are used by Israeli aircraft on bombing missions. "

This is brilliant! atleast some people still have some backbone,anyone that could possibly vilify this needs to take a long hard look in the mirror,this is what we should all be doing en mass!

[edit on 18-1-2009 by Solomons]

I guess they'll be sent to Guantanamo.
Or tried as terrorists at least.

Brilliant move by those folks

The defence of 'commiting a lesser crime to prevent a greater' in this manner has already been set so should be interesting to see how the legal case runs

Institute for Law and Peace

In a historic verdict, after a brilliantly-argued seven-day trial where their case was grounded upon international law, the four ‘ploughshares' women Andrea Needham, Lotta Kronlid, Joanna Wilson and Angela Zelter were cleared of charges of having caused two million pounds worth of damage to a British Aerospace Hawk jet (Report in Daily Telegraph, August 1, as well as front page of the Guardian).

The media generally obfuscated the issue as ‘conscience before the law', however to quote KM: ‘the Seeds of Hope women were quite clear... that they weren't "breaking the law for a higher end" but rather fulfilling their legal duty/availing themselves of their legal right to stop crime.

It is precisely because they were so clear on this... framing their action in legal as well as moral terms, that the women were allowed to present the jury with evidence of the real crime taking place'. He added that ‘section 3 of the Criminal Law Act belongs to us all: "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime..."'

[edit on 18-1-2009 by citizen smith]

Originally posted by jsobecky
I find this story incredible. Where was the security? An arms manufacturer, without 7x24 armed security?

Who's running the show over there? It could as easily have been terrorists breaking in and stealing everything.

"EDO designs, develops and manufactures weapon carriage and release systems " They don't actually make guns and bombs. I'm not a 100% sure but a "weapon carriage" system is probably the parts the hold the missiles on the jet and the "release system" would be the parts that drop the missile right before they take off.
Anyone stealing those parts would need a fighter jet for them to be useful.. haha.

[edit on 18-1-2009 by danman23]

The trial and arrest of these people is unimportant. In due time Mossad will take care of them.

Originally posted by jsobecky
I find this story incredible. Where was the security? An arms manufacturer, without 7x24 armed security?

Who's running the show over there? It could as easily have been terrorists breaking in and stealing everything.

Typically, arms manufacturers not only sell arms and munitions to the benefactors they feel should have them, while others only to their benefactors without any moral decision about whether they deserve to have them. But also, some just sell them to the highest bidder. In order to stay in business, they also sell or give them away to the enemy of those they sell to. Often times this is done by covertly allowing the opposition's suppliers access to their caches, while appearing they had nothing to do with it.
Many times after a conflict, they claim due to the expense of collecting or salvaging the accumulated arms and munitions stores and it being cheaper to buy and stockpile anew, Governments, including the US, conveniently leave behind their unused and used stockpiles from the largest to the smallest of weapons. These in turn fall into the hands of others, oftentimes to be used against the Country and allies of those who left them behind. This promotes armed conflict and keeps the War industry alive under all it's names.
Leads me to wonder whether the arms and munitions referred to here were actually destroyed or were they, wittingly or unwittingly, reappropriated to ensure continued fighting, until internal/ external supply lines can become more readily available to the opposition. That or they are their internal/ external supply line.
That and the computers and files destroyed to cover up discrepencies and / or maybe condeming records.
I'm not shocked one bit, I'm surprised such appropriations weren't considered newsworthy sooner. Governments are so boringly predictable.
It's how criminals, even in the US get supplied. That's what I've learned from the gun runners here in the US anyways. And from what I could see of their activities, they were right. I've seen more arms and munitions come directly from the military and Law Enforcement seizures, than from shipments abroad.


[edit on 18-1-2009 by PhyberDragon]

A very symbolic protest indeed.
But is this another story being ignored by the news powers that be? Frankly I’ve heard nothing on the mainstream news-propaganda channels!

Originally posted by danman23

Anyone stealing those parts would need a fighter jet for them to be useful.. haha.

So danman shows they can’t be tried as arms smugglers, or terrorists, especially when what they damaged was just paper and computers.

They can however be tried for “criminal damage” as this can be proved without the prosecution needing to disclose whatever information was on those computers.
Of course with u.k burglars, vandals and drug users frequently just receiving suspended prison services I doubt there is much the law can or will offer as a deterrent. I would like to help join in with their Community Service if this turns out to be their punishment!!!

Originally posted by groingrinder

The trial and arrest of these people is unimportant. In due time Mossad will take care of them.

Only if they were to (somehow in spite of all the odds e.g. their unruly characters) elevate themselves further up the political system!!!
Groups like Stop the War is indeed riddled with moles, but it’s only to create political infighting, and pick up on the few individuals who might really be going somewhere. About 99.9% of people are tolerated, if not welcome for the disorganisation-chaos their naturally colourful personalities bring.

Wow, great work by these brave people - i hope they inspire more direct action against the british arms trade.

England sits and pretends to be unhappy when nations like israel drop bombs on UN compounds, etc and when crazy warlords invade and plunder other nations but yet the whole time we're really laughing and counting he money that comes in. It has to stop, if the world is ever going to calm down it can only happen if nations like england stop supplying deadly arms to the highest bidder.

(i'm english which is why i concentrate on england, your nation is most likely doing the same thing)

i really dont understand why everone is siding against israel lest we forget these people were persecuted with the purpose of being exterminated and i dont blame israel one bit for trying to protect themselves to stop the same happening again they are totaly surrounded by a hostiles and we in england would be doing exactly the same as them if say for instance france were firing rockets at us we would retaliate and as for weapons being supplied to israel from the U.S and U.K where do you think hamas and the likes of other countries involved are getting there weapons from try IRAN RUSSIA SYRIA and the like

Excellent!

I am all for nations producing arms to protect their nation, but not producing weaponry to sell to other governments for use against whoever they like.

All British defense contractors should take heed of this. You act from our shores in supplying immoral governments and you face the consequences.

These protesters were brave, they took a stand and clearly showed that this was not acceptable for a British company.

And on the security front, they make components, not live ammo. The most you'd find in there are secret designs for components of release mechanisms. Even then, if they are held to strict guidelines, such information would be secured in combination cabinets and disbursed so as to make little sense to anyone.

Looks like the ELF criminals here.

Breaking and entering ... criminal tresspassing ... vandalism ...

'Protest' or not - looks like a few felony convictions are in order.