UK

No to the Telford Arms Fair! Protest on 20th November 2024

As evidence mounts that campaigning against arms companies is having a real impact, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and others are planning a new protest this month.

The SDSC Arms Fair plans to return to Telford International Centre in November (18-20th). This arms fair, the Specialist Defence and Security Convention UK, focuses on military equipment for front-line infantry soldiers.

It will include exhibitors from a number of arms companies, including those deeply complicit in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, such as:

• Elbit Systems, manufacturer of bombs, mortars and drones, and Israel’s largest privately held arms company
• L3 Harris, maker of surveillance, night vision and targeting equipment and supplier of bomb release mechanisms for Israel’s F35 aircraft, which has been confirmed as being involved in the deaths of civilians in Gaza
• Ultra Electronics, which has been granted numerous arms export licences to Israel by the UK Government and has been involved in the development of the F35 warplane.

Stop SDSC-UK, a coalition of groups from the Quakers, Campaign Against the Arms Trade, Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Solidarity groups and others will be saying no to this dreadful arms fair.

The protest organisers say: “Telford International Centre should be where people go to enjoy fun events like bicycle or model shows, concerts or pantomimes: it should not be involved in death and destruction. This arms fair was chased out of Malvern, when it was called 3CDSE. We can tell this arms fair it is not welcome in Telford!

“We believe the arms industry has skills and capabilities that should be put to peaceful purposes, and want to see new, better jobs for those working in the industry, as part of a green transition.”

The UK is one of the biggest exporters of arms globally, including to repressive regimes and those suspected of violating international humanitarian law. It has sold billions of pounds worth of arms – including planes, bombs and missiles – to Saudi Arabia, despite the state waging a war in Yemen which has killed many civilians and created a humanitarian crisis. It is also a player in the current horrors in Palestine and Lebanon.

As well as the incalculable human cost of “bleeding edge technology”, the weapons industry also squanders resources badly needed in our society and drives climate breakdown.

Campaigning works!

After a year-long campaign against its premises by Palestine Action and local community groups, Barclays PLC has sold all of its shareholdings in Elbit Systems Ltd. Until recently, Barclays owned over 16,000 shares in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company.

Global Justice UK Director Nick Dearden hailed the decision as “fantastic news.”

Elbit Systems itself is also thought to be losing money at its drone engine factory near Birmingham, following years of campaigning by Palestine Action.

Get involved!

Check out the Stop SDSC website: tinyurl.com/STOPSDSC You can find maps, updates, and schedules as they become available via the Stop SDSC website or the CAAT Event page.

Image: https://flickr.com/photos/campaignagainstarmstrade/16578513455/in/photolist-rfZdsT-2jfQsz8-2nmkBTJ-2nmibnJ-2nmcRje-2nnVnCy-2nmi7SC-2nmcJkp-2nmhRor-2nmkm1b-2nmi89S-2nmi6w6-2nmi2N1-2nmj5mG-2nmkxKU-2nmibEV-2nmhTBu-2nmhSjQ-2nmhWVv-2nmhUmR-rdFR8q-2nmhQRj-pyusby-qjdHpx-rdFT5b-qYsquG-qj1w8j-VgnAbu-2nmi5vD-2nmhTSX-2aib7KQ-7zWc93-HzfzA7-JoAmJa-7uj6Zz-HzfBco-J5LVcJ-J5LoXW-LBkZ8-JmpkA3-JmpiyN-JmpeXE-HzfvHY-HzdPr6-HzdNUe-HzdNhx-JvnPqV-JmpqT7-JmpjAY-J5Lmwd. Campaign Against Arms Trade Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0