Press releases
British Army veteran and Telford resident explains his opposition to the arms fair
Media coverage
Protests threatened as controversial arms fair moves to Telford | Shropshire Star, 3 July
Arms fair comes to Telford | based on 13 October interview , BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gp0zc0
Six protestors arrested after chaining themselves to popular venue's entry gates | Birmingham Mail, 1 November
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/six-protestors-arrested-after-chaining-28025132
Six people arrested after anti-arms fair protest at Telford International Centre | Shropshire Star, 1 Nov
Letter calls for Telford defence event to be cancelled | BBC, 13 October 2023
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-67100412
'Their job is to kill': Armed forces veteran joins campaign against weapons fair in Telford | Shropshire Star, 20 October
Extinction Rebellion blockade arms fair at Telford International Centre | Shropshire Live, 1 November
No arms fair in Telford say local Quakers| Quakers in Britain, 2 Nov
https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/no-arms-trade-in-telford-say-local-quakers
Controversial defence fair to return to Telford International Centre after 'great success'
1 November | 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/
Press release , 13 October 2023
Campaigners say “no” to Telford arms fair
On 13 October, campaigners from Stop SDSC-UK will present a letter to the Telford International Centre calling for the cancellation of the Specialist Defence & Security Convention UK (SDSC-UK) arms fair booked for 1-2 November.
In their open letter to the Telford International Centre, the campaigners say, “This is not just another industry show. SDSC-UK is part of the destructive global arms trade which drives armed conflict, oppression and human rights abuses around the world.”
Among the hundreds of individual signatories are religious and community leaders, business people and military veterans. The organisations backing the campaign include Quaker Meetings across the region including Telford Quakers and Meetings, PCS union Revenue & Customs Telford branch, Shropshire Stand Up to Racism and Fossil Free Shropshire.
After campaigners raised the alarm, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, the popular grassroots live music venue, has cancelled the arms fair’s booking for 'welcome drinks & nibbles' planned for the evening before the event.
The Stop SDSC open letter is published online and has been sent to the Telford International Centre by email and on social media, but so far has received no response from the exhibition centre’s management. Campaigners therefore chose to hand-deliver the letter on 13 October.
Southwater Group, which operates the Telford International Centre say on its website its values include integrity: “doing the right thing for our people, our guests and the environment”
“We strongly object to an arms fair being held in Telford,” said Ellis Brooks, campaigner and Bridgnorth resident. “The kind of technology and equipment touted at the SDSC is associated with destruction and oppression right now.”
Telford resident Fiona McCleary added, “This deadly trade consumes over $100,000 billion[1] every year which could be used for so many human needs around the world. According to An estimated 5.5%[2] of global warming emissions come from militarism. It really doesn’t match our values in Telford.”
More campaigners will be protesting peacefully against the arms fair on 2 November if SDSC-UK is not cancelled.
Notes for editors :
Stop SDSC-UK is a grassroots campaign that has grown since the arms fair was announced this summer. The SDSC came to Telford after its predecessor, the 3 Counties DSE, was the object of intense opposition across the shires of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester. Campaigners contacted the Telford International Centre with an open letter requesting the event be cancelled on ethical grounds.
Press enquiries: Campaigners plan to hand-in their letter at 11am on 13 October. Email stopsdsc@gmail.com for press enquiries.
The open letter with signatories: https://bit.ly/stop-SDSC
SIPRI: "the estimate of the financial value of the global arms trade for 2020 was at least $112 billion". | https://www.sipri.org/databases/financial-value-global-arms-trade
The SDSC-UK arm fair’s website: https://www.sdsc-uk.co.uk/
Shropshire Star, Protests threatened as controversial arms fair moves to Telford | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/2023/07/04/protests-threatened-as-controversial-arms-fair-moves-to-telford/
CAAT, Hide and Seek with an Arms Fair in Worcestershire | https://caat.org.uk/news/hide-and-seek-arms-fair/
CAAT, Annual report on UK arms exports | https://caat.org.uk/publications/annual-report-uk-arms-exports-in-2022/
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[1] SIPRI: "the estimate of the financial value of the global arms trade for 2020 was at least $112 billion". | https://www.sipri.org/databases/financial-value-global-arms-trade
[2] According to Scientists for Global Responsibility (2022), an estimated 5.5% of global warming emissions come from militarism: https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SGRCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf
Telford venue cancels arms fair booking
After Stop SDSC campaigners raised the alarm, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, the popular grassroots live music venue, has cancelled the arms fair’s booking for 'welcome drinks & nibbles' planned for the evening before the event. The SDSC-UK orgnisers were forced to update their website to reflect the change.
