By Brad Wolf, World BEYOND War, November 8, 2023
Activists from across the United States gathered outside of Raytheon’s office at 1100 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA at 12:00 noon on November 8 to confront the war profiteer on its role in producing weapons that are causing extreme suffering and death to innocent children, women, and men around the world.
As they gathered on the sidewalk outside of Raytheon, some of the individuals lay down and were covered with sheets representing people around the world who have been killed by weapons made by the war profiteer. Others mourned over large dolls representing the children who have been killed by Raytheon’s weapons.
Sidewalks are normally a public place where people can exercise their First Amendment rights. In this case, Raytheon controls the sidewalk. When asked to leave by the police, a number of activists said that because of the suffering and death caused by weapons produced by Raytheon, they could not leave until Raytheon agreed to stop producing weapons. Eventually six people were arrested.
A subpoena was delivered to Raytheon in November 2022, by members of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal, requesting that Raytheon turn over information about its complicity in war crimes. The subpoena was ignored. Another subpoena was delivered today.
This action leads into the opening session of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal, which will begin on November 12 and will be streamed to a worldwide audience. You can find information on the tribunal, including registration at https://merchantsofdeath.
The Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal will hold accountable, through testimony of witnesses, weapons manufacturers who knowingly produce and sell products which attack and kill not only combatants but non-combatants as well. These manufacturers, including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, and Boeing, may have committed Crimes Against Humanity as well as violated U.S. Federal criminal laws. The Tribunal will hear the evidence and render a verdict.
