No Arms Trade in Telford, say community campaigners

1 November 2023 | No Arms Trade in Telford, say community campaigners

Protestors are gathering outside the Telford International Centre this week as it hosts the Specialist Defence and Security Convention (SDSC-UK ) 1- 2 November.   

The opposition to the arms fair comes from faith groups, trade union branches, local and national charities and hundreds of individuals[i]. Local bar and venue Albert’s Shed cancelled their “wine and nibbles” booking from SDSC-UK when they learnt more about the event. Campaigners plan a peaceful day of action on 2 November, including a Quaker Meeting for worship, the laying of a white poppy wreath, a picnic and a citizens’ assembly to explore a nonviolent future.

Previously held at Three Counties Showground in Malvern under the name 3CDSE, SDSC-UK moved to Telford this year after extensive protests[ii].  The companies may not be household names, but SDSC-UK exhibitors include:

·        L3Harris, which makes everything from headsets used in night raids by secret police to bomb releases[iii] and tried to acquire the infamous Pegasus spyware used to secretly take over people’s phones[iv];

·        Ultra Electronics, which makes navigation controls for Predator and Reaper drones, the machines used in “targeted killing” missions in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia[v];

·        Qinetiq, which test bombs and partners closely with the arms industry in Saudi Arabia, equipping the war machine that has devastated Yemen[vi] where 8,983 civilians have killed in air strikes alone.

“The global arms trade causes suffering that is hard to count, let alone imagine. It squanders resources and the carbon bootprint is making the future of the planet more perilous. The arms trade should be resisted everywhere, and right now that means this event on our doorsteps in Telford.” - Ellis Brooks, Bridgnorth resident.

Campaigners also reject the idea events like SDSC-UK makes anyone safer.

“I am very concerned for the future of our children and grandchildren (mine and everybody else’s) -  not only do they face the existential threat of the climate crisis but also the increasing risk of war, especially as resources become more scarce.” – Gill Davis, Telford resident.

“There’s a big difference between planning for defending our own country and using government resources such as export insurance to encourage rich elites in poorer countries to spend more of their money on expensive arms. We’ve seen how many countries get into more debt that way by the profligacy of their elites and it’s usually the poorest that then suffer the most. It’s deeply immoral.”

- Rev Paul Cawthorne, former Central Telford curate and vicar of Hadnall.

The UK is one of the biggest exporters of arms globally, including to repressive regimes and those suspected of violating international humanitarian law. In September 2019, Amnesty International contacted 22 arms companies asking them to explain how they meet their responsibilities to respect human rights in their business. None of them were able to provide an adequate response[vii].

Enquiries: stopsdsc@gmail.com | Twitter: @StopSDSC | 

[i] Open letter to Telford International Centre (2023) | https://sites.google.com/view/stop-sdsc-uk/home

[ii] CAAT, Hide and Seek with an arms fair in Worcestershire (2023) | https://caat.org.uk/news/hide-and-seek-arms-fair/

[iii] CAAT, L3Harris (2022) | https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/l3harris/

[iv] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/14/nso-group-pegasus-us-l3harris

[v] CAAT, Ultra Electronics (2022) | https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/ultra-electronics/

[vi] CAAT, Qinetiq (2022) | https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/qinetiq/

[vii] Amnesty International (2019)  | https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/09/arms-companies-failing-to-address-human-rights-risks/