Site Unseen

Campaign Against Arms Trade is currently protesting outside 40 BAe (British Aerospace) Systems sites in the UK. It is the second largest arms dealer in the world, exporting œ5 billion of arms and military equipment each year and producing virtually every type of weapon or weapons system, yet the company is almost unknown to most people in the country.

So, on a sunny day in May, Manchester members of the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) joined Quakers, peace campaigners and faith groups outside BAe Systems Salmesbury, near Blackburn. The protesters and their banners highlighted the role of BAe Systems in fanning conflict, aiding repression, decreasing the chances of peace and creating economic and humanitarian problems for some of the poorest people in the world.

Next stop, BAE Systems Warton, which built Hawk jets for Indonesia and with plans for sales to India and South Africa. As workers left the site they passed the protesters and their banners and were offered leaflets explaining the reasons for the action. A very worthwhile exercise, which highlighted to local people the weapons factory in their locality and to BAe workers the harsh consequences of their work.

Disarm DSEi

Manchester CAAT hope to arrange some transport to protests against the Defences Systems & Equipment International arms fair in early September - Europe's largest trade fair for guns, bombs, military planes, small arms, mines and tanks.

Related Articles

Mike Kavanagh, Manchester CAAT (0161 224 6042, mkavanagh@astor.demon.co.uk)
Disarm DSEi (0781 7652029, disarm@dsei.org)

Networking Newsletter #47 (June and July 2003) Contents Page Home     STOP PRESS     Latest newsletter
Events listing     Campaign contacts
Resources    Network for Success
Subscribe now!     Search this site

© Networking Newsletter (June 2003)