AND SO ITT BEGINS

So finally the EDO Decommissioners Trial began this Monday (7th) after an 18-month long wait. A vigil was held at 9am on the first day, with a crowd of over 150 turning up to show their support outside Hove Crown Court. The proceedings are estimated to run a course of at least seven weeks.

The EDO/ITT factory got decommissioned on the 17th January 2009 in solidarity with the people of Gaza as they were being bombarded during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead (see SchNEWS 721). A group of people are up on trial, most on a charge of criminal damage and several for conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

Four days into the trial it already appears that EDO are going to face a more thorough investigation into their involvement with Israel’s war crimes than during the previous 100+ court cases which have followed actions against this company. Paul Hills, Managing Director of the factory, has taken the stand since Tuesday (8th). His cross examination was off to an abrasive start with the defence stating “Everything you say about this company is a pack of lies” as part of their opening gambit.

 What the eventual outcome will be is obviously an unknown quantity but there will certainly be some right courtroom dramas in the weeks to follow...

 * For updates see http://decommissioners.co.uk www.smashedo.org.uk