Peace campaigners tell NEC no to arms fair
1,460,000 tonnes of CO₂ emitted annually by the UK arms industry, according to Scientists for Global Responsibility.
Peace campaigners are calling on Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) to cancel a controversial arms fair.
‘The SDSC-UK [Specialist Defence and Security Convention] 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 and the Telford International Centre.
The open letter, signed by over 400 individuals and thirty organisations including Pax Christi and the Peace Pledge Union, was delivered to the NEC during a furniture fair last week, 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. It also cites figures from Scientists for Global Responsibility that the UK arms industry alone emits 1.46 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.
