Pump firm protest ends peacefully

The firm makes equipment for the oil industry

A protest outside a Glasgow company which supplies products to Iraq has ended peacfully, police have said.

Six members of Glasgow Anti-War Action chained themselves together with piping on Monday morning outside the southside offices of Weir Pumps.

Strathclyde Police said the protest ended at 1100 GMT with no arrests.

Weir Pumps said it had carried out work in Iraq for more than 50 years and would continue to supply pumps as part of the rebuilding of the country.

The move comes came after anti-war activists vowed last week to step up civil disobedience to highlight Scotland's role in the conflict in Iraq.

We are calling on Weir Pumps and Halliburton to stop pillaging Iraq now and making cash out of this bloody and illegal conflict Joss Garman Anti-war protestor

The Anti-War Action group supports the work of another anti-war organisation, Troops Out of Iraq, set up following the death of Fusilier Gordon Gentle in Basra in June.

It claims Weir Pumps is working for Halliburton, the US group which has been awarded contracts worth billions of dollars in Iraq.

A spokeswoman for the firm confirmed that it worked with Halliburton among a number of other firms but would not comment on the how much its contracts were worth.

'Rebuilding process'

Weir Pumps makes components for oil facilities, water and waste treatment plants and power stations.

The spokeswoman said: "We have supplied pumps and equipment to Iraq for more than 50 years.

"We believe it's important that we continue to supply our pumps as part of rebuilding process of that country and in this connection we work with a number of contractors and sub-contractors."