ACTIVISTS have locked themselves to the gates of an arms factory. 

Three campaigners remain bolted to the gates of the EDO MBM arms factory in Moulsecoomb and emergency services are using an angle grinder in a bid to let the workers in.

Speaking about today's protest at the Home Farm Business Park in Home Farm Road, a spokesman for Shut Down The Arms Trade said: "This summer, The Argus, The Canary and The Guardian all published details of a United Nations Security Council mandated investigation showing EDO MBM bomb-parts were found at the site of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on civilian targets in Yemen.

The Argus:

"In response Nancy Platts, Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council was joined by city councillors as well as local MP Lloyd Russell Moyle, to call for a government inquiry into the company export licences to Saudi Arabia. Nothing happened.

"A written parliamentary question about the UN report, submitted by Caroline Lucas MP was also ignored by the Government. We say all UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia must stop now.

"We have this morning blocked all arms shipments from the EDO weapons factory in Brighton."

The activists have been bolted to the gates since the early hours of this morning.

This comes after a protest outside the arms factory earlier this month.

About a hundred activists banged drums, listened to speakers and chanted “break the kill chain”.

From the mid-2000s, the company battled a “Smash EDO” campaign which saw dozens of protests and even a court battle.

The group outside, which consisted of some members of the original campaign, were re-energised after the company was linked to what a UN report described as “violations of international humanitarian law” in Yemen.

The Argus reported in July how attacks on a civilian target were carried out using weapon parts made at the EDO MBM factory.

We reported how UN inspectors took photographs of fragments of a bomb used in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a water pump factory. Written on the side of a fragment were the words “EDO MBM” – the name of the arms manufacturer in Brighton.

The Argus:

Dr Anna Stavrianakis, senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Sussex, said: “That bomb was dropped and it was dropped in a violation of international humanitarian law. Someone made it, someone transferred it, someone approved it, someone launched it."

Police are currently monitoring 10 demonstrators who at 5am today (Monday) gathered at the the premises of EDO-MBM Technology, Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, Brighton. Some of the demonstrators re reported to have chained themselves to gates. Officers are attempting to establish the demostrators' intentions while maintaining access to the premises for employees. 

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Police are currently monitoring 10 demonstrators who at 5am today (Monday) gathered at the the premises of EDO-MBM Technology, Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, Brighton.

"Some of the demonstrators re reported to have chained themselves to gates. Officers are attempting to establish the demostrators' intentions while maintaining access to the premises for employees."