Peace campaigners tell NEC: cancel the arms fair 

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

-          Peace Dove mascot hands in protest letter against major arms fair at Birmingham NEC

-          10-12am, Wednesday 21/1/26, Birmingham NEC

-          Phone 07718 937156 for more information

High-resolution photos available for release, credit Ellis Brooks.

Photo credit: Ellis Brookes

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20/1/26

Peace campaigners tell NEC: cancel the arms fair

Peace campaigners are calling on Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) to cancel a controversial arms fair.

Protests are planned outside the NEC during the Specialist Defence and Security Convention (SDSC-UK) due to be held on the site on 3-4 February.

“The SDSC-UK isn’t just another exhibition, it’s a showcase for companies that profit from war, human suffering, and corruption,” said a spokesperson for the Stop SDSC-UK campaign which includes Quakers, Campaign Against Arms Trade and others.

“Weapons sold here end up being used against civilians in conflicts from Yemen to Gaza. This is not welcome in our city.”

The SDSC-UK has faced protests in every community it has visited. Previous events were forced out of the Three Counties Showground in 2023 and the Telford International Centre in 2025.

In an open letter to Paul Reeve, CEO of the NEC Group, Stop SDSC-UK note that notorious exhibitors at the arms fair have included:

• Thales, linked to arms used against civilians in West Papua and breaches of sanctions against Russia.

• BAE Systems, whose fighter-bombers have been used in Yemen and whose deals have been tied to massive bribery scandals.

• Qioptiq/Excelitas, providing military optics to regimes known for human rights abuses.

• L3 Harris, whose bomb racks have been used in conflicts in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, and Libya.

• Elbit Systems, a key part of Israel’s drone fleet involved in attacks condemned as potential genocide in Gaza.

The open letter, signed by over 400 individuals and 30 organisations including Pax Christi and the Peace Pledge Union, will be delivered to the NEC during a Furniture Fair on Wednesday, 21 January, by their Peace Dove mascot.

In their letter, the campaigners point out that hosting the arms fair goes against the NEC’s stated commitment to honest, ethical business.

The UK arms industry alone emits over 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually and is linked to nearly half of all international trade corruption cases.

“The NEC cannot claim to be a responsible, ethical venue while hosting an event that fuels oppression and destruction around the world,” said the spokesperson.

“If they go ahead, they can expect us outside, making sure our community’s voice is heard.”

Campaigners are calling on the NEC to cancel the event and confirm SDSC-UK will not be welcomed back.

ENDS

Media contact:
Contact the Peace Hub on office@peacehub.org.uk or 07718937156

Read full letter here: https://www.stop-sdsc.uk/campaign-letters/to-the-nec-group-stop-sdsc-uk