Anti-Militarist Network

University careers fairs across the UK have seen demonstrations by anti-arms trade protesters in recent weeks as student activists oppose the recruitment efforts of companies like BAE Systems, the world’s largest arms producer.

The wave of recent actions at graduate recruitment fairs in Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Southampton and Exeter saw campaigners staging ‘die-in’ protests in front of BAE’s stalls and being forcefully removed by security staff.  Key successes have been; the closure of the careers fair at Edinburgh, disruption of BAE presentations, a turn out of 50 students at Exeter University, a forthcoming discussion at Southampton University on arms companies on campus and we now know that BAE are having to shell out money for extra security at recruitment events.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) are encouraging students to continue demonstrating everywhere that arms traders attempts to recruit –  this week students are expected to protest at Oxford University and Kent Universities Careers Fair.

CAAT group has compiled a list for students of 40 careers events this term where BAE or other arms traders will have a presence on various university campuses, including events at universities in Bath, Brighton, Bristol, Canterbury, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hertfordshire, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Northhampton, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swansea and York.  Click here to see when one or more arms companies could be recruiting on your campus.

BAE Systems has been dogged for years by persistent allegations of bribery and investigated by the Serious Fraud Office for corruption, is keen to recruit university graduates, especially in engineering and sciences. Each year they spend thousands of pounds on recruiting staff to research, design, build, market and sell the next generation of killing equipment.

CAAT’s new Ban BAE campaign is designed to complement the clean investment campaign – calling for universities to divest from the arms trade for ethical reasons – and ultimately aims to sever the links between education and the arms trade entirely.

CONTACTS

For further information on the Ban BAE Campaign please contact Abi Haque, CAAT’s Universities’ Network Co-ordinator on universities@caat.org.uk or ring 020 7281 0297.
For information on CAAT please contact CAAT Media Co-ordinator Kaye Stearman via press@caat.org.uk or ring 020 7281 0297 or 07990 673 232.

NOTES

1. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) works for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade together with progressive demilitarisation within arms producing countries. Around 80% of CAAT’s funding comes from individual supporters and CAAT is strictly non-violent in all its work.

2. CAAT has released a new action guide for students and activists, Disrupting Arms Company Recruitment, available to download from CAAT’s website, together with a BAE Counter-Recruitment Campaign Pack. Further information on the campaign and the Universities Network is available here. CAAT has compiled an initial list of dates when BAE is visiting universities which is available here. This is not a comprehensive list – check with your university careers service if your university isn’t listed.

3. According to the Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI), BAE Systems is the world’s largest arms producer. It sells arms to countries the UK Foreign Office’s Human Rights report classes as “major countries of concern”. Notable customers include Israel, Pakistan and Indonesia, while its foremost overseas markets are Saudi Arabia and the United States. In February 2010 BAE agreed to plead guilty to “accounting irregularities” in a 1999 sale of radar equipment to Tanzania and was fined £30 million, while being simultaneously fined $400 million by the US Department of Justice for conspiring to defraud the US and for making false statements under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Two weeks after the launch of Campaign Against the Arms Trade’s new Ban BAE counter-recruitment campaign, students and anti-arms trade activists kicked off the academic year by taking over a BAE recruitment presentation and staging a die-in at their stall.

The action took place at the Guardian’s busy Graduate Fair held at the Business Design Centre in north London and saw 15 young people, including students, CND supporters and Quakers, making a strong but peaceful statement against the unethical activities of BAE – the world’s largest arms producer.

There was heavy handed treatment of the protesters by the security services at the event, activist Anna Clark was dragged away by her arms, while at least one other protester was pulled by the feet. It seems as if the security at the fair were expecting protests against BAE, in the afternoon the stall area opposite BAE was occupied not by an exhibiting employer, but two security guards keeping watch.

BAE Systems sells arms to countries the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights report classes as “major countries of concern”. Notable customers include Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia. BAE arms sales in several countries have been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and allegations of corruption have dogged the company for years. In March 2010 BAE agreed to pay a $400 million criminal fine to the US Department of Justice.

The company is keen to recruit university graduates, especially in engineering and sciences. Each year they spend thousands of pounds on recruiting staff to research, design, build, market and sell the next generation of killing equipment.

But students are increasingly voicing their distaste for the promotion of careers in the in the arms industry by supposedly ethical organisations, like universities and The Guardian. CAAT has identified over 40 careers events in October and November 2010 where BAE or other arms companies will be present. Student activists are being urged to ensure that BAE is met with campus protests every time it participates in career fairs or other recruitment events.

Hannah Brock, a Quaker, explained, “I was glad to do something public in support of a campaign that makes people contemplate who they give their skills to”.

Hilary Aked, who interrupted the presentation, told Ekklesia that she was motivated by her recent work in Palestine. She pointed out that BAE sell weapons parts to Israeli forces.

“I can see for myself the effects of Israeli military actions, having just returned from Palestine,” she explained, “They’re using expensive military equipment to violently suppress peaceful protests”.

Abi Haque, CAAT Universities’ Network Co-ordinator says:

“We significantly disrupted the BAE presentation and stall. It was encouraging to see how many students were receptive to our message about BAE and the unethical career choices they offer to graduates. We hope that The Guardian, which has done so much to expose BAE’s shady activities, will exclude BAE from future Graduate Fairs.”

*For further information on the Ban BAE Campaign please visit CAAT Universities Network micro-site.

*For questions concerning the CAAT Universities network universities@caat.org.uk“>email Abi Haque, CAAT’s Universities’ Network Co-ordinator or call 020 7281 0297.

*For information on CAAT please press@caat.org.uk“>email CAAT Media Co-ordinator Kaye Stearman or ring 020 7281 0297 / 07990 673 232.

Links:

Youtube video of Ban BAE protest at the Guardian Graduate Fair

Ekklesia article available at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13375

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has launched its new Ban BAE counter-recruitment campaign at the start of the new university year. CAAT’s Universities’ Network is calling on anti-arms trade activists to take part in direct action against arms giant BAE Systems and stop their participation in recruitment events.

Abi Haque, CAAT Universities’ Network Co-ordinator says:

Education and arms companies should not mix. CAAT aims to widen the gap between universities and the arms trade. Previous student actions have been hugely successful, as well as very entertaining. Last year these ran from confiscating promotional materials and removing displays, to die-ins and and grim reapers looming over stalls. We expect this year to be equally interesting.

For full press release and contact details see: http://www.caat.org.uk/press/recent.php?url=20101005prs

Hear from irreverent comedian and activist Mark Thomas at CAAT’s National Gathering on 6 November. If you haven’t heard Mark speak before, you definitely should. If you have, then we need say no more!

As if that isn’t enough reason to come along, we are delighted to host a wide line-up of challenging speakers: Nicholas Gilby, author of “The No Nonsense Guide to the Arms Trade”; War on Want on modern mercenaries and bankers’ profits; The Decommissioners and Raytheon 9 on their successful direct action against arms trade; as well as first hand accounts of the effects of the UK’s zealous arms sales to Israel, Indonesia and India.

Book now for only £5 (£3 unwaged)

Campaign Against Arms Trade is excited to launch BAN BAE, the campaign to kick arms giant BAE Systems off campus.
BAE Systems is desperate to recruit university graduates. Each year they spend thousands of pounds on recruiting students to design, build, market and sell the next generation of killing equipment.
In 2008, student protests across the UK forced energy giant E.ON to abandon its recruitment tour of universities. Last year students targeted BAE recruitment stalls with die-ins and dressed as grim reapers!
This year we want BAE to be met with protests wherever it goes to recruit students. We want to force BAE to conclude that attending university career fairs is not worth their while and shut down their main link to graduates.
Take action to BAN BAE:

• Find out when BAE are visiting your university. CAAT has compiled an initial list of dates here: http://universities.caat.org.uk/ban-bae Check with your careers service too.
• To order a campaign pack and find out ways to get involved please email Abi and for more information please visit our student website.

Repressive regimes and countries in conflict are among the military delegations who will be attending the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will attend, having been invited by the UK government. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) says that the presence of such countries makes a mockery of the system of arms export controls, which supposedly restrict arms sales to responsible countries.

While negotiations for an Arms Trade Treaty take place in New York, Coalition Government ministers will be participating in trade days at Farnborough. Vince Cable, Business Secretary, with overall responsibility for the government arms sales unit, UK Trade & Investment Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), will be there on Monday 19 July. Defence Minister Liam Fox, who has explicitly stated that arms sales should be a foreign policy tool, will attend on Tuesday 20 July.

A Government Minister has declared that senior members of the Government will promote arms exports to compensate for budget cuts at the Ministry of Defence. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) says that this brazen support for the arms trade by the new Coalition Government will result in even more suffering as a result of military sales and arms companies gaining ever greater influence over government.

Peter Luff, Defence Equipment Minister, is reported to have said: “There will be a very, very, very heavy ministerial commitment to the process. There is a sense that in the past we were rather embarrassed about exporting defence products. There is no such embarrassment in this Government.”

CAAT says that the statement is unusual in its frankness but, in reality, there is little difference from the policies pursued by the Labour Government. Government support for the arms industry already runs into billions of pounds per annum, including Research & Development spending, generous procurement arrangements and government-backed insurance. Arms exports receive disproportionate support from the special sales unit in UK Trade & Investment Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO).

Full press release

Rooftop occupation at Heckler & Koch

On May 20th at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, anti-arms-trade activist Kirk Jackson was found guilty of aggravated trespass for his part in a protest that shut down an arms company for a day. He was given a twelve month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £350 court costs.

The charge arose from a February 18th protest at the Nottingham warehouse of international arms company Heckler & Koch. Before dawn, four activists locked themselves to the gates, preventing employees from entering, while Kirk and another activist climbed onto the roof and displayed banners accusing the company of “arming repressive regimes”.

Read more…?

One 12-foot high puppet (literally armed to the teeth) + 30 judge/jurors in wigs and cloaks = a strange sight for civil servants, tourists and shareholders in the City of Westminster this morning. The giant puppet was Dick Olver, Chair of the world’s largest arms company, and the 30 judge/jurors were Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) activists. The scene was set  for the People’s Jury outside BAE’s AGM.

Read more…?

The UK’s largest arms manufacturer, BAE Systems, may think they have slipped free of serious sanction by agreeing a plea bargain with the Serious Fraud Office.

But campaigners at Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) have hit upon a novel way to bring these alleged corporate criminals to justice. A website, BAE:The People’s Jury has been set up to invite members of the public to air their views on BAE’s activities.

The website includes useful information on BAE’s activities and invites comments from interested members of the public. It already features hard-hitting contributions from prominent US academic Mike Koehler and the anti-corruption campaigner, former ANC MP, Andrew Feinstein whose blog details how BAE’s dealings have undermined South Africa’s fledgling democracy.

BAE: The People’s Jury is open to everybody and all are invited to contribute their thoughts.

CAAT is also hoping that supporters will join them on 5 May, the day of BAE’s AGM. A People’s Jury will chase an effigy of BAE Chairman Dick Olver from the headquarters of the government’s arms sales department (UKTI DSO) to the AGM venue at QEII Conference Centre in Westminster.

Campaigners hope that the People’s Jury campaign will result in a major embarrassment for BAE’s board as campaigners pose tough questions at the AGM.

More details on the day’s events are available on BAE: The People’s Jury website.

For further information or an interview please contact one of CAAT’s Campaigns Co-ordinators, Sarah Waldron or Anne-Marie O’Reilly on 020 7281 0297. Email addresses are sarah@caat.org.uk or anne-marie@caat.org.uk