CAAT’s UK-Wide Challenge to BAE Systems on Day of AGM

CAAT supporters from all over the country are planning a day of action to coincide with BAE Systems’ annual general meeting in protest at arms exports to repressive regimes and regions of conflict all over the world.

CAAT supporters will be attending the BAE AGM as well as protesting at BAE sites across the country. Students from CAAT’s Student Network whose members are from universities in Oxford, Cambridge, Norwich, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, London and Lancaster will also be playing a large part on the day.

Rachel Harford of CAAT said:

There is unease amongst the general public about the trade in death perpetrated by BAE Systems. Protesters will be attending the AGM and BAE sites across the UK to demand that the arms export company account for its role in repression and human rights abuses throughout the world. BAE must know that concerned people will continue to protest until they stop selling death for a short-term profit.

At the AGM in London, over one hundred protesters will go into the meeting with token shares to challenge the BAE board on their arms export policies. Simultaneous protests will be staged throughout the country at BAE sites and factories as far apart as Bristol and Edinburgh.

BAE Systems has an annual turnover of £12.3 billion, making it Europe’s largest arms company. It is currently fulfilling a government licensed contract to export Hawk aircraft to troubled Zimbabwe, and has another to supply a Rapier missile system to Turkey. It is also fulfilling its contract with Indonesia to supply the remaining Hawk Ground Attack aircraft.

CAAT calls on BAE Systems to stop the export of military equipment to dictatorships, areas of tension and developmentally needy countries. CAAT instead encourages the more humane and more profitable civil production market – such as BAE’s project to build the A3XX super-Jumbo.

CAAT protests will be taking place across the country in Edinburgh, Bristol and Wharton, Lancashire.

ENDS