Press Release
FAO Newsdesks - Friday 28th February
Site Unseen: Exposing the Arms Trade - Bath & Bristol
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) pressure group will visit local arms companies in South West England this Friday. Local supporters outside BAE Systems' sites in Bath, and then Bristol, will form the protests.
28th February
11.30-2 pm: Bath - 2a Upper Borough Court, Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1
4.30-6 pm: Brisol - Filton, Bristol, BE34
7.30-9 pm: Bristol - Public meeting - Redland Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Rd, Redland, Bristol BS6
CAAT Local contact: Graham Davey 0117 909 3491
Demonstrations form part of CAAT's local outreach tour called 'Site Unseen'; whereby Local Campaigns Co-ordinator, Chris Cole, will visit forty arms company sites around the country.
The South West receives particular attention from anti-arms trade campaigners, as it is the country's second largest arms manufacturing region, according to a report by defence analyst Ian Goudie last year.
Local Campaigns Co-ordinator, Chris Cole said:
"Since 1997 British companies have exported weapons to twenty countries engaged in serious conflict. As Britain's largest arms exporter, BAE have to take some blame for this, and we are calling on them to act with more corporate responsibility."
BAE Systems in Bath "provides a range of services that maintain warship capability" according to its marketing material. BAE Systems in Filton, Bristol, develop and manufacture anything from underwater weapons to missiles say CAAT activists.
Mr Cole continued:
"One of our aims is to name and shame relatively anonymous companies and inform local residents as to what they're really up to."
Britain is the world's second largest arms exporting country, distributing around £5bn of military technology around the world to over 120 countries every year. Last year BAE Systems attracted controversy in the national press by continuing arms contracts to India, Pakistan and Israel.
For further information about the arms trade please contact CAAT's central office on 020-7281 0297 and ask to speak to Chris Cole or Richard Bingley. Alternatively Email CAAT at: press(at)caat·org·uk
Photos: contact as above
ENDS
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