About 20 peace activists gathered outside Geelong Magistrates Court on September 1 to show their support for Jaimie Jeffrey, who was charged with criminal damage, obstructing emergency service workers and trespass after a protest against a weapons manufacturer.
Jeffrey, a member of Defend Peace Djilang and co-convenor of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) Geelong and Vic Southwest, locked-on to the roof of Geelong-based weapons manufacturer Marand Precision Engineering on March 23 and dropped a banner which read: “Marand #1 supplier of genocide”.
Marand, owned by private equity company CPE Capital, makes parts for the F-35 Strike fighter jets used by Israel to commit genocide in Gaza.
On its website, Marand claims to design and manufacture parts for several companies complicit in the genocide in Gaza, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and BAE Systems, as well as big fossil fuel companies like BHP and Rio Tinto.
The protest also called on the Department of Defence to stop approving export permits for F-35 parts.
Cheryl, from IPAN Geelong and Vic Southwest and Defend Peace Djilang, said Marand has occupied the building since 2012, but has never put its name or logo on the building. “Marand doesn’t want locals to know its location or what it makes there, this action was designed to expose Marand.”
She said Marand is the “real criminal here” and that all three levels of government had been pushing to make Djilang a weapons manufacturing hub.
“After Ford and Alcoa shut down, the City of Greater Geelong, state and federal governments invited and subsidised weapons manufacturing in Geelong, claiming it was creating jobs.
“Chemring in Anakie also produces F-35 parts … Hanwha has a factory at Avalon that makes Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles with the help of Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin is storing parts at Avalon Airport and plans to build a factory at Avalon to produce missiles.”
She said this is the result of the bi-partisan push for Australia to become one of the top ten global weapons exporters.
“Geelong’s federal MP, minister for warmongering Richard Marles, is the military industrial complex’s number one cheerleader, who proudly boasts that Australia is an F-35 country.”
She said Geelong should pivot to manufacturing renewables and other socially useful products instead of weapons.
Jeffrey is contesting the criminal damage and obstruction charges. The matter had been adjourned until October 27.
