Report from Lockheed Martin HQ Shutdown (London, England)

by me Thu Jan 17, 2008 21:03

Lockheed Martin does good in the world, they have large healthcare programs in the US where they work with the federal government to research and cure infectious disease such as AIDS and they contribute to research for the National Cancer Institute, they dont just develop weapons. Plus, all countries should have a defence system, you're foolish to think otherwise!

by Ciaron Thu Dec 20, 2007 01:15

LINK-Photo of Irene's Arrest & Local Newspaper Report on Her Jailing!
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/display.var.1914081.0.0.php

*Irene Willis who is pictured above doing the Lockheed Martin HQ Lockdown is presently jailed for earlier nonviolent resistance to British nuclear war preperations.

If you would like to send a solidarity letter or postcard of support to Irene and maximise your chances of your correspondence getting to her write

Irene Willis
c/- LCW
16 De Beauvoir Rd.
London N1 5SU
...and we will redirect the mail to her upon release!
Ciaron

by Irene Jailed - Muriel Lesters Trident Ploughshares Tue Dec 18, 2007 19:24

*Irene Willis is pictured above wearing mult colored socks, sitting on the ground blocking access to Lockheed Martin HQ

Pensioner Jailed for Opposing Trident Nuclear Weapons

IRENE WILLIS , a 62-year-old peace activist from Southend, Essex was today sentenced to seven days' imprisonment by City of Westminster Magistrates ’ Court for refusing to pay a fine of £50 (+ £50 court costs). The fine was for deliberately obstructing traffic around Parliament Square during an anti-nuclear protest on 14th March 2007 , the day Parliament voted to replace Trident, despite a huge Labour backbench rebellion.

Anti-nuclear campaigners argue that by agreeing to replace its Trident nuclear missile-carrying submarines, and constructing new facilities to enable the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons at Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire, the Government is in breach of a number of laws and international treaties [1]. One of these is the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified by Britain in 1968, which commits the then recognised nuclear states, including Britain , to act in good faith to decommission their existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons and not seek to develop new ones.

At the same time, Britain continues to condemn Iran for its uranium enrichment programme, despite there being no evidence of an intended military use. Britain also joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 under the pretext that Saddam Hussein was thought to possess weapons of mass destruction, none of which have ever been found.

Ms Willis, who is also an environmental campaigner, is unrepentant: “although I have been found guilty of a ‘crime’, I must ask why, if we are all equal under the law, the British government is not also put on trial for breaking international law.

“Regardless of today's outcome, I will continue to challenge the state, which is committing itself to spending up to 100 billion pounds of taxpayers’ money renewing a nuclear weapons system which ministers say they intend never to use. Two-thirds of this sum would be enough to reduce our carbon emissions by the 90% needed to avert climate catastrophe.

“I would ask anyone who feels we should not have nuclear weapons to take a moment to write to their MP and suggest that they vote against any new nuclear missiles or warheads. The majority of the population does not support nuclear weapons, and the Scottish Parliament strongly opposes them, so let’s aim to remove this threat in 2008.”

Irene is expected to serve her sentence at HMP Holloway.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

1. Laws and international treaties contravened by continued possession of, or threat to use, nuclear weapons:

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) - came into force in 1970
Hague Convention 1899, 1907
Geneva Protocol 1925
UN Charter 1945
Geneva Convention 1949
Nuremberg London Charter 1945/6
Genocide Act 1969
Additional Protocol 1977
Manuals of Military Law

by Ciaron - London Catholic Worker Tue Dec 18, 2007 16:12

Mmmm wow this is now a feature so it might be worth exploring a few themes.

The article began as an excited mobile phone text from me with an injection of flippant humour, where I described the Catholic Worker & Muriel Lesters as "Raging Graniies". One of the mutually excited recipients of my text slapped it up immediately on Irish indy as the action was still unfolding which is a great thing about indy.

I remember the Halloween night of the Shannon Banshees when the news went up on Irish Indy while the action was going down and the "security" was unaware of their presence airside at Shannon warport. Text updates, mobile phone photos and voice recording of the names of the war dead being read from Zelda (yep the same one here at Lockheed Martin HQ) and Elaine flowed from Shannon airside through the night. They were slapped up as comments on Irish indy. From memory. Irish insominacs and others in other time zones were slapping up comments before "security" woke up and were disaptched to bring Elaine and Zelda in frrom the Shannon Warport cold!

Anyways, I thought I better write an article for indy making a distinction between the Muriel Lesters & Catholic Worker affinity goup and the "Raging Grannies" who operate in the U.S. In writing, I lent heavy for my stats and references on the media release by the direct actionists and wrote from my perspective as a support person on the margins of this wonderful NVDA at Lockheed Martin's London HQ.

In reponse to the original text I recieved quite a few emails and texts to the effect... "please dispatch some Raging Grannies to Ireland/Polska/Hungary we need some!"

So why is there this demographic willing to do anti-war NVDA here (England/Scotland) and not these other places?

I think in terms of Ireland, there isn't the history of the anti-war NVDA of the anti-Vietnam '60's and the anti U.S. nuclear bases '80's to draw upon. This was evident when we organised around Shannon (02-07) and organised around the 3 ploughshares trials in Dublin - in a lot of ways it was like starting from scratch.

Most significantly in the anarchist/libertarian scene, Trident Ploughshares organised on affinity groups commited to direct democracy and nonviolence has been wonderful in terms of cross generational anti-war activism. A cross generational organising that is not always evident in a lot af anarchist/libertarian scenes. This is evident at the big big annual blockades at the gates of Faslane nuclear sub base (Scotland) and the trials that follow the more hi risk disarmament actions. In the meantime, folks might have affinity groups organised around age group, musical tastes, spirtual traditions, geographical location for the smaller acts of NVDA like this one at Lockheed Martin HQ. When they come together at the bigger blockades and trials they work well cross generationally.

The recent generation of anarchists in Ireland seem more formed by the anti-globalisation movement, than those of us who were initially politcised by the wars on Vietnam, Central America, East Timor etc, The connection has not been made that to have a robbery (global exploitatioin) you need to have the arms (neverending low intensity warfare, the threat of nuclear escalation, troops going through Shannon, the arms trade etc).

I guess the local community of Rossport was always going tho be more welcoming of NVDA than that of Shannon and that had its effect on what folks prioritised in terms of organising in Ireland.

Anyways nothing difinitive here just some further musings......

by Damien Moran Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:55

to all involved in this great action. Highlighting the fact that Lockheed Martin are the biggest and nastiest bastards around when it comes to the arms trade is important work. If only we had a bunch of grannies and grandads over here in Poland to do the same.

by Ciaron Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:36

1 photo at top
press release
scroll down....
7 more photos

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/387855.html

by Martin - {uploaded from Eastern Frontier of EUroLand} Sat Dec 15, 2007 15:55

http://www.londoncatholicworker.org/

Catholic Workers chaining Lockheed shut!

Lockheed Martin - does what it says on the tin!

Muriel Lesters block access

Ol' Bill arrive

wasn't me guv!

by Cath Mor Fri Dec 14, 2007 21:17

A Galway-based company, a spin-off from Galway University, does research for Lockheed.
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20051006.htm

by Tim Hourigan Fri Dec 14, 2007 18:55

Nice report, with a healthy dose of humour and hope.
Well done to all involved.

by Edward Horgan Fri Dec 14, 2007 00:13

Great work Ciaron and all involved.
Shutting down such war facilities even for a short while is an important achievement.
Now we need to shut down the Shannon Torture route, since our government is in denial. However, they seem to be getting a bit rattled! Bertie Ahern came very close to lying in the Dail when he said, as reported in Irish Indepedent 13 Dec p 17, that "there is no evidence of people, aeroplanes, or anything else associated with extraordinary rendition at Shannon airport" Not only is this an incorrect statement, it is arguably a deliberate falsehood, because it is inconceivable that Mr Ahern does not know that over 147 CIA "aeroplanes" very directly associated with extraordinary rendition were refuelled at Shannon airport. This is confirmed by the EU parliament TDIP committee investigating rendition.

Its enough to create a few raging grandads.

by DM Thu Dec 13, 2007 22:36

It's great to know that the CW are carrying on their great work in Britain!

by lulu Thu Dec 13, 2007 19:18

Excellent work all, & v interesting article & links.

by MichaelY - iawm Thu Dec 13, 2007 15:48

Well done C. Our loss here is the antiwar movement's gain acrosss the water.
Solidarity
Fraternally

by Fintan Lane Thu Dec 13, 2007 15:13

Redjade, you got that on the other side of the continent? I received it in Dublin! He must have plenty of credit in that phone:)

Well done C.O'R and all those involved in this occupation! Let's hope it brings further attention to the immoral actions of this company.

by redjade Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:49

details still coming in - feel free to add confirmed info
SMS from C.O'R:
'Mission Accomplished!
We just shutdown Lockheed Martin HQ in London with chains,
a Catholic Priest & bunch of raging grannies!
Lockheed make nukes Aldermaston!'

more info to come...