Merchants of death on our doorstep

In 1987, Brighton was made a United Nations Peace Messenger City. It is ironic, then, that arms manufacturers EDO MBM Technology Ltd have a factory in north-east Brighton, at the Moulsecoomb Business Park.

EDO MBM design and make weapons systems, including some that look suspiciously similar to those used by the Israeli government to support the illegal occupation of Palestine. And they have a £145 million contract with the UK government for bomb racks for planes: the sort of systems that allow Western civilisations to deliver their politics from a great height.

MBM has recently been rated number 10 in Fortune Magazine's annual list of the 100 fastest-growing companies. MBM’s owners, EDO Corporation, were named one of New York’s fastest-growing technology companies by the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 50 Program. Its revenue last year was $461 million. It is believed that EDO has a partnership with a company called Raytheon to work on the Starwars programme; we’ll get back to you on that one.

Last Friday, Sussex Action for Peace paid a visit to their (un)friendly neighbourhood arms manufacturers. A fair few of us braved rain and a heavy police presence to make our feelings known. The factory looked deserted, so at least we achieved one less day of work by the dealers of death.