Litton Industries bombing: Difference between revisions
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==Litton Industries' role== |
==Litton Industries' role== |
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Litton Industries |
Litton Industries was the manufacturer for the guidance system of the American [[cruise missile]], which was being simultaneously tested in Western Canada.<ref>MacNiven, Don. "Creative Morality", p. 223</ref> |
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==Planning== |
==Planning== |
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Revision as of 23:35, 8 December 2010
In October, 1982, the Squamish Five filled a stolen pick-up truck with 550 kg of dynamite and drove from Vancouver to Toronto. Their target was Litton Industries, a company producing guidance components for the controversial American cruise missiles many feared would increase the risk of nuclear war.[1]
Litton Industries' role
Litton Industries was the manufacturer for the guidance system of the American cruise missile, which was being simultaneously tested in Western Canada.[2]
Planning
Execution of the bombing
The bomb was detonated on October 14, 1982, and was intended to cause only property destruction. The van was parked in full view of corporate security, with an elaborate "warning box" duct taped to the hood, displaying a message, a digital clock counting down, and a single stick of dynamite to draw attention to the danger. Belmas called the security desk and warned them of the explosion, giving instructions on exactly what to do and where the danger area was. The security personnel, however, suspected a hoax, and did not respond quickly enough to evacuate the facility before the explosion.
The evacuation was just getting started when the bomb detonated minutes ahead of schedule, injuring ten people. Meanwhile, at the back of the factory, where the guidance system was being produced, no damage was done. The only damage was to the Storage area where the parts were held before production, and the offices above and around the storage area, but the cost of damages was described by police as being "in the millions" [3] .
Aftermath
The bombing was hailed as a "massive success" by the anarchist movement who saw it as "an act of sabotage" against the American military machine.[1] Although there was not wide public support for the bombing, Ann Hansen later pointed to the fact that 15,000 people attended a "Refuse the Cruise" demonstration two weeks after the bombing as evidence it had forced the public to confront Canada's role in the Military-Industrial Complex.[4]
The president of Litton Industries released a statement following the event, stating that "Bombing is madness", a statement ridiculed as hypocritical for a man "overseeing the very profitable construction of U.S. bombs".[5]
References
- ^ a b Antliff, Allan (2004). Only a Beginning: An Anarchist Anthology. Arsenal Pulp Press. pp. 75, 225. ISBN 1-55152-167-9. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
- ^ MacNiven, Don. "Creative Morality", p. 223
- ^ Tri-City Herald, "Police Seek Clues in Plant Bombing", 10/16/1982. pp. B7"
- ^ Faith, Karlene. "13 Women: Parables from Prison", p. 234
- ^ Desroches, Leonard. "Allow the Water", p. 254