On 25th March, at their annual Global Health Conference in Newcastle, members of Medsin’s National Committee launched an arms trade campaign. Medsin is a network of medical students that aims to raise awareness of global health issues and reduce health inequalities. The national committee is able to initiate two campaigns per year, and has decided that the arms trade should be a priority.
This decision was taken as a direct response to calls from Medsin’s Patron Dr. Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, for the organisation to step up pressure on Reed Elsevier to encourage the company to stop organising arms fairs. Dr. Horton pointed out that this is inconsistent with Reed’s publishing of medical textbooks and journals, such as the Lancet.
Medsin members in action
Medsin members acted on this call immediately at the Global Health Conference by holding a protest against the arms trade and calling for increased investment in health rather than weapons. A group of 20 people then proceeded to the BAE Systems site in Newcastle after the conference to protest outside the gates. They held a ‘die-in’ and heard speeches about the arms trade, one of which was by CAAT’s local contact in Newcastle, Valerie Anthony.
For more information or to get involved in Medsin’s arms trade campaign, email armstrade(at)medsin·org or visit http://www.medsin.org/campaigns/armstrade.
Other news
Disarm UCL – Fees fund murder!
Appalled at hearing that University College London (UCL) is the biggest university investor in the arms trade, UCL students got together and founded the Disarm UCL campaign. The students staged a ‘gravestone protest’ in the UCL quad, which received coverage in national media. In February the UCL Student Union Council voted overwhelmingly for the adoption of an ethical investment motion advocated by campaigners. UCL alumni (including Richard Wilson, see page 13) have been outraged to hear about the unethical investments of their former university and pledged in May to write to the UCL Provost, Malcolm Grant, in protest. In addition campaigners have gathered over 1000 signatures calling on the provost to ditch the arms shares. Malcolm Grant had initially agreed to meet campaigners in March but then cancelled the meeting. He then agreed to meet at the end of May. For more info see www.disarmucl.com.
Protest at BAE Systems Filton
Five protesters broke in to a BAE Systems site at Filton near Bristol on 26th April to protest at the dropping of the Serious Fraud Office investigation into arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The group opened some of BAE’s filing cabinets to symbolise that they were investigating the company because the Serious Fraud Office wouldn’t. They were all arrested and later released awaiting possible charges of burglary.
The highly secure facility is apparently being used by scientists working on the next generation of missile technology. It houses up to 130 staff.
Blogging against the arms trade
The new CAAT blog – diaries of campaigners against the arms trade (blog.caat.org.uk) has been up and running for three months now. Five CAAT activists and volunteers write about their experiences campaigning against the arms trade. The blog features informal reports about CAAT protests and thoughts and discussions on the arms trade. CAAT bloggers publish pictures and reports from CAAT protests on the blog straight after the events have taken place. Check it out!
If you would like to blog for CAAT please contact press(at)caat·org·uk.
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