***UPDATE – It’s now confirmed that the newly named Arms Fair has LEFT the Three Counties! The location is now confirmed as Telford so The Three Counties have NO ARMS FAIR!***
Three Counties CAAT (Herefordshire/Worcestershire/Gloucestershire) are currently celebrating – it appears that there are currently no plans for another arms fair to be held at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.
After last year’s 3CDSE defence expo, with an injunction on protest imposed (no doubt at huge expense to someone!) the event has had a flurry of name changes, but still apparently no venue.
The name moved from 3CDSE, through SOFCON-UK, eventually landing on SDSC-UK.
It is still describing itself as “a unique showcase of innovative defence and security” with “an excellent external area where physical systems, hardware and vehicles can be demonstrated on a live scale.”
But where is this external area? Well, we don’t know yet – there is no date, and no venue, on the SDSC-UK website. Those interested will have to guess whether they’re available and where they’d need to travel to!
Why the secrecy for an event that is simply business development for our own UK security?!
3CCAAT, and previously Malvern Individuals for Peace and Hereford Peace Council, have been raising awareness and campaigning against the presence of this arms fair in our three counties. Started in Hereford, campaigning sent it to Malvern Showground, where it has been protested every year it has happened. Protests have urged the Showground to rethink – as its presence runs counter to the Showground’s charitable aims of promoting agriculture, horticulture and rural crafts.
Recently, the CEO of the Three Counties Showground has written to 3CCAAT and stated: “I can confirm that the Showground will not be hosting… any event under the 3CSDSC umbrella’.
Will it stay that way? We hope so! THANK YOU to the Three Counties Showground!! We look forward to enjoying events that take us into a better future at this beautiful venue! How about an ethical events policy that guarantees future events support agriculture, horticulture and our community, as well as the future of the planet?’
Thank you to everyone who signed the petition, wrote letters to various partners, signed our open letter and turned up to protest.
