diary of campaigners against the arms trade
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Last week, despite the ‘five security checks’ and the ‘defensive ring’ to keep unwanted guests out, anti-war activist Martin Powell managed to infiltrate the DSEI arms fair and live tweeted photos from inside.
Martin is also a performance poet and wrote this poem about his experience inside the arms fair: Read more » Share:This summer’s Block the Factory demonstration drew campaigners from across the UK to protest at Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems’ factory in Shenstone. But 19 people were arrested during the demonstration, charged with breaching a High Court injunction that Elbit Systems had taken out in an attempt to halt protests at the factory. Campaigners have successfully challenged the injunction, and the ban on protest at the site has been lifted. On Friday 28th August, the 19 arrested at the Block the Factory demonstration will be appearing at Burton-on-Trent magistrates court, and are expected to plead Not Guilty to the charges. Show your support with those arrested by joining one of the solidarity demonstrations. Share:
Join us to watch a collection of short films including Hell Unltd (1936), with guest speakers from Campaign Against Arms Trade Saturday, September 5th, 9pm, Atlantic Way (next to the River Mersey), outside Brunswick Business Park. See the location on a map here. The L15 film cooperative are staging a very special event- this September, we’ll be projecting an anti-arms trade film… onto an arms factory. Hell Unltd. was made as a protest against profits in armaments during a period when fascism was growing throughout Europe. The film is political in nature but, unlike many political films of the period, also heavily experimental, mixing puppets, diagrams, animation, and archival footage at an extremely rapid tempo. Norman McLaren and Helen Biggar’s “Hell Unltd” was one of the first ever agit-prop, anti-war films. Released in 1936, it expertly combines stop motion animation and allegory to form a powerful argument against the war industry. In our screening, the silent film has been overlaid with a beautiful deep house mix by Deepchord. Read more » Share:Two rooftop protests and no arrests. East Kent CAAT member Ellie Keen reports on the campaign against Israeli arms manufacturer Eblit System’s factory in Broadstairs, and asks: just what does Elbit have to hide? Last year, we found out that we had an Elbit factory on our doorstep – Instro Precision, based in Broadstairs. This year we shut it down – twice. Both times, we put four people on the roof, D-locked a neck to the main gates, draped banners down the building, turned away deliveries, leafletted the local population and alerted media outlets. The workers were told to keep away for the day – both days. In February, they tolerated the bad publicity and loss of business. Not one of the protesters was arrested. We wondered why: it is hardly usual for blockaders to be allowed to shut a factory down. So we thought we’d see how much Elbit and the police would tolerate. Share:The Stop the Arms Fair tour of the UK will be coming to Manchester on Saturday 22nd August. Join activists from across the North to find out more about the arms fair, and share ideas to take action against it! Share:We’re on tour across the UK in the run up to the DSEI arms fair. Join activists from across the West Midlands on Tuesday 25 August for an interactive workshop to find out more about the DSEI arms fair, and link up with others interested in taking action against it. Whether you’re new to campaigning or an experienced activist, there are lots of ways to get involved! Share:Liverpool Young Greens, in collaboration with CAAT and Liverpool Amnesty International, will be marching together at Liverpool Pride on Saturday 1st August 2015. James Crawley explains why he’ll be taking to the streets to join the Pride march with an anti-arms trade message.
The theme for this year’s Liverpool Pride is #LoveIsNoCrime. Yet Saudi Arabia, the UK’s biggest arms export market, criminalises love in the most brutal fashion, imprisoning, lashing and executing LGBTIQ peoples, often by way of stoning and beheading. Read more » Share:Last week I was in Derby to talk about CAAT’s Arming all Sides project with the Derby People’s History Group (DPHG). I’m a big fan of local history societies with a radical edge and DPH has done some impressive work, especially towards the rehabilitation of Alice Wheeldon. Born in Derby, Alice, a feminist and socialist, was sent to jail in 1917 on the weak evidence given by an undercover MI5 agent (who had been planted in her house) for plotting to kill Lloyd George.  Alice Wheeldon Share:
Every summer, thousands of people flock to the small village of Tolpuddle to celebrate trade unionism and the town’s six famous martyrs. Over the years, the festival has become something of a rallying point for trade unionists and labour activists across the country, and CAAT was here this year with a stall in the martyrs’ marquee to promote our Arms to Renewables campaign. Share:As Edinburgh CAAT group celebrates it’s 20th birthday, long-term group member David Turner reflects on 20 years of campaigning against the arms trade in Scotland. In 1995 a group of Campaign Against Arms Trade supporters came together for an inaugural meeting, and the Edinburgh CAAT group was formed- the first CAAT group in Scotland.
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Campaign Against Arms Trade, Unit 4, 5-7 Wells Terrace, London, N4 3JU
Tel: +44 20 7281 0297
Email: enquiries(at)caat·org·uk Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
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Campaign Against Arms Trade
