On the Verge - The Film They Tried to Ban

[frosty]

Smash EDO film comes to Glasgow

On the Verge - The Film They Tried to Ban
Carnival Arts 18th April.

In 2004 a group of Brighton peace campaigners began to bang pot and pans outside their local arms manufacturers EDO MBM in disgust of their part in the Iraq war. This has grown into the Smash EDO campaign, which has cost the company millions, been the subject of large scale police operations and has tested the right to protest in the UK.

Using activist, police and CCTV footage plus interviews with those involved in the campaign, On The Verge tells the story of one of the most persistent and imaginative campaigns to emerge out of the UK's anti-war movement and direct action scene.

The film is already being screened on the Smash EDO Tour which has begun, and dvds will be available to buy in April - with proceeds going to Smash EDO.

Police attempts to stop On The Verge being screened has also begun. Last week the premiere screening at the Duke Of Yorks Cinema in Brighton was pulled at the last minute after police invention, and several venues due to host the tour and film have been subjected to police threats - for more see SchNEWS 625.

[frosty]

Bump

[LesMTS]

Why did they try to ban it?

[Draven]

More to the point, why should we go see it only for the police to turn the lights out 2 mins before it's shown?

Time. Waste.

[endless psych]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ving.activists

Some good has come of the controversy as far as smashEDO is concerned. The main reason for taking the film on tour was to raise awareness of the campaign, and the row will certainly do this. Several arthouse cinemas have told smashEDO that they want to screen the film, and offers to show it have come in from as far afield as Australia and the US.

[crusher]

They would be better off campaigning against Qinetiq, which is a much bigger organisation dealing in armaments and military equipment. As soon as John Major left office he became a senior exec of Qinetiq, they spent billions bribing him and other government seniors to get what they want all round the world. They are also a wing of Halliburton

[Largest of Als]

I'm guessing the police had some legal reason to shut down any screenings of the film.. otherwise surely this would be a giant legal case by the anti-war protestors..


Well.. either that or just a giant publicity stunt for shit film...



But then what do I know...



Al

[Dec]

I bet the "Get a wash" count in this film is fucking huge. Don't get me wrong, "brother", I'm down with the struggle, but get your unwashed dreadlocked ass away from me.

[frosty]

I wash in the shower in my bathroom, an have a skinhead

They tried to ban it, as it shows the police acting like fools and using violence.

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by crusher

They would be better off campaigning against Qinetiq, which is a much bigger organisation dealing in armaments and military equipment. As soon as John Major left office he became a senior exec of Qinetiq, they spent billions bribing him and other government seniors to get what they want all round the world. They are also a wing of Halliburton

John Major left office in 1997. Qinetiq was founded in 2001. They aren't part of Halliburton either.

Also, while Qinetiq are arms dealers, they are also the remains of the R&D wing of the MoD. It should never have been split off the MoD though.

[Dec]

This ain't a scene.

[Largest of Als]

Originally Posted by frosty

I wash in the shower in my bathroom, an have a skinhead

They tried to ban it, as it shows the police acting like fools and using violence.

Yes, I get that, but they cant just walk in and shut down a screening without a legal judgement.. which I'm sure would have been fought by the AntiWar people.. IF they had a legal leg to stand on...





Al