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Topics: Arms companies, Arms fairs, BAE, Farnborough

Bubbles Not Bombs!

On Saturday the 21 July 2018, a small group of activists for Stop The Arms Fair met outside the Farnborough International Airshow to participate in a peaceful family friendly action. The Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) hosted arms deals during the week of the 16-20 July. On the weekend, it held a public “family friendly” weekend, to whitewash its deadly trade show. Stop The Arms Fair had a thought-provoking message for the public and families attending this event.

A woman activist in a red shirt blows bubbles in front of a Bubbles Not Bombs banner on metal fencing
Making bubbles, not war!

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Topics: Arms fairs, BAE, Clarion Events, Finmeccanica, Lockheed Martin

Glasgow Sank UDT!

The Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) arms fair took place at SEC Glasgow at the end of June. It was met by a large, boisterous protest, which made it very clear that weapons trading should not be happening in Glasgow, or anywhere! As a result, Glasgow Council took the decision to no longer support arms fairs.

"Don't Let Warmongers Make Glasgow"
Campaigners borrowed the slogan from the “Glasgow Life” campaign …and explained what having arms dealers in town really means.

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Topics: Arms fairs, Arms trade events, BAE

Malvern Votes Against the Arms Trade!

When campaigners in Malvern in Worcestershire found out that a “Defence and Security Expo”, called “3CDSE” was coming to the Showground venue in their town in May, they knew what to do!

A chef on stilts in front of the stall
A long legged ‘Monsieur’, from an adjacent event, shows his support (credit: Melanie Johnson)

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Topics: Action Reports, Arms companies, BAE, Local elections, Local Groups, Lockheed Martin, Saudi Arabia

Edinburgh activists call on council to end its investment in arms companies

Brian Larkin and members of the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre hand the petition to divest from arms manufacture to Cllr Chas Booth, Convener of Edinburgh Council’s petitions committee.

Campaigners in Edinburgh are calling for their council to end its investment in arms companies.

Yesterday our friends at Edinburgh CAAT and the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre presented a 400 strong petition to Councillor Chas Booth, the Convener of Edinburgh Council’s petitions committee.

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Topics: Action Reports, BAE, East Timor, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia

21 years on: solidarity with the disarmers

Andrea Needham writes: On 29 January 1996, I was one of a group of women who disarmed a Hawk warplane at BAE’s Warton factory in Lancashire. The plane was destined for Indonesia, where it would be used in the ongoing occupation and genocide in East Timor.

Exactly 21 years later, and now in the era of social media, I was idly perusing Facebook on a Sunday morning when I saw that two men had broken into the very same factory, with the intention of disarming warplanes being sold by BAE to Saudi Arabia, for use in their crimes against humanity in Yemen.

Andrea Needham with a copy of The Hammer Blow

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Topics: Arms companies, BAE, Countries, Saudi Arabia

BAE Arms: Saudi Kills

Sam and Dan with hammer used 21 years ago

Activists released on bail after attempt to disarm BAE fighter jets bound for Saudi Arabia.

Daniel Woodhouse, a Methodist minister from Leeds, and Quaker activist Sam Walton have been released on bail pending charges after breaking into BAE’s Warton site. The pair were arrested at BAE Systems’ airbase in Warton, Lancashire, in the early hours of Sunday 29 January after entering BAE Systems’ Warton site in order to disarm warplanes bound for Saudi Arabia.

Sam and Dan with hammer used 21 years ago

The aircraft are part of a multi-billion pound deal between BAE Systems and the Saudi regime, and were due to be shipped to Saudi Arabia within weeks. Their action came as a panel of UN experts warned that the devastating Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen, which have caused a humanitarian catastrophe, may be part of “a broader policy of attrition against civilian infrastructure” which may “amount to war crimes.”

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Topics: Action Reports, BAE, Campaigns

No Pride in War: Day of Action Against the Militarisation of Pride in London

Amy Clark-Bryan of No Pride In War was one of many activists that took part in actions urging the organisers of Pride in London to end its associations with the arms trade.

No Pride In War Campaigners outside the BAE office in central London
No Pride In War Campaigners outside the BAE office in central London

Tuesday 24th May was a day packed full of action, as LGBTQI campaigners united to say loud and clear “No Pride in War!”

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Topics: Action Reports, Arms companies, Arms fairs, BAE, Bahrain, Israel / Palestine, Mexico, Saudi Arabia

Resisting police militarisation: shut down ‘Security and Policing’

Last night I joined activists from several groups including the Network for Police Monitoring, Global Justice Now, Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, London Mexico Solidarity, London Campaign Against Arms Trade and Stop the Arms Fair for a protest outside the Home Office to call for an end to the ‘Security and Policing’ arms fair.

Candles in jam jars in front of a 'Human Crisis Your Profits' placard
Photo by Sophie Mawson

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