Natural history Museum

Natural History Museum hired by arms dealers

The Natural History Museum hosted the official Farnborough International Reception on Monday 9th July 2012. Arms dealers celebrated their first day of business in the shadow of the Museum's famous Diplodocus.

We took action to ask the Museum not to support the Farnborough arms fair, where weapons sales are promoted to human rights abusers. Our public institutions should not be supporting the arms trade. Add your voice by emailing the Museum's Director today.

A night at the Museum

In the words of the arms fair's organisers, the reception is

THE most important event during the Farnborough week, exclusively attended by key industry senior level figures, international delegations and exhibitors ... a must attend event and an unparalleled networking opportunity.

Those 'networking' were not a pretty sight. The 37 buyer countries invited by the UK government to Farnborough Airshow included unstable or authoritarian regimes such as Algeria, Bahrain, Indonesia, Libya and Saudi Arabia. Rosoboronexport, the main weapons supplier to the Assad regime in Syria, was a major exhibitor.

Protesters were there to talk to Museum staff and visitors – and to greet arms dealers as they arrived for the reception. CAAT delivered a letter from eminent scientists and others condemning the Museum's decision to host a reception for arms dealers and urging that the museum sever all links with the arms trade.

Add your voice by emailing the Museum's Director today.
Already written to the Museum but disappointed with the response? See our Responding to the Museum page for suggestions on writing again.

Image credits: Tree frog: Mike Baird,flickr.bairdphotos.com; Orangutan: Ben and Laura Kreeger on Flickr.