End the weapons trade! Stop the war crimes!

End the weapons trade! Stop the war crimes!

By Carol Turner
- First appearing on Labour Hub -

The withdrawal from Afghanistan is a strategic defeat for the US and UK. Sadly, they won’t be throwing the towel in just yet – as Johnson’s Integrated Review and the recent tripartite US, UK and Australia security agreement make clear.

From the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza, to the Saudi-led war in Yemen, UK arms traders are supplying the weapons used to commit war crimes, human rights abuses and enable disastrous military interventions like Afghanistan.

They are able to do so by export licenses granted by the British government. On paper the UK has some of the most stringent controls in the world on arms exports. In practice Government ministers ignore the law in order to support bombing.

Among the criteria used to determine if an export license is granted should be whether or not those arms might be used deliberately or recklessly to target civilians. Judge for yourself if you think this is upheld.

End the weapons trade! Stop the war crimes! takes place on Monday 20th September, just a few days after DSEI closes, the world’s largest arms fair at the Excel Centre, East London, and in the week when the UN marks International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26th September.

Join Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP and John McGrath from Democratic Socialists of America to discuss the issues raised, with Murad Qureshi from Stop the War, Louise Regan from Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Carol Turner from CND. All welcome at this timely zoom meeting organised by Lambeth CND and Lambeth Stop the War, and supported by Lambeth & Wandsworth PSC and the UK Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America.

Register in advance here and make your views known.

Catherine West MP, former member of the Select Committee on Arms Export Controls, has made a 2- minute info video for London CND. Watch it  here     

Bromley Peace Council action at DSEI 2021

Bromley Peace Council lays a wreath in memory of the victims of wars in front of the Excel Centre, while inside, the DSEI Arms Fair continues.

This is where war begin.

This is where we can stop it.

#StopTheArmsFair

Shutdown DSEI: NO TO NUCLEAR!

The Defence and Security Enforcement International (DSEI) arms fair is one of the largest arms fairs in the world and we're co-ordinating with various groups and organisations for a No to Nuclear day on 4th September. We're hoping that as many of our members as possible can get down to help us try and shut down the fair so please do keep the date free and for more information, please visit the CND website.

There'll be lots of different ways to be involved on the day, one of which is to take part in, or support non-violent direct action to ensure the site is shut down. If this is something you'd be interested in, there’ll a training day in collaboration with Mad Hatters on 31st August. Please do get in touch with us via email to find out more.