The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) pressure group will visit a local arms company in Glascoed, Wales, on Saturday. Local supporters of CAAT will form a demonstration outside one of BAE Systems’ most important sites in Britain, the Royal Ordnance factory at Glascoed.
Meeting point: Noon – 2pm outside BAE Systems Glascoed site, near Usk. A public meeting will take place at 7.30pm in Cardiff at Friends Meeting House, 43 Charles St, Cardiff, CF10.
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.
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 Glascoed makes explosives and ordnance, which it fits into shells and artillery pieces. These products are not just made for British Ministry of Defence requirements but are shipped all over the world 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: media(at)caat·org·uk
Photos: contact as above
ENDS
