- The SPIE Security and Defence arms industry conference opens at the EICC in Scotland’s capital city on Monday 16th until Thursday 19th September 2024.
- One of the world’s biggest arms companies, Leonardo, are the main sponsor of the event at this council-owned venue.
- Other arms companies like BAE Systems, MBDA, Teledyne and Thales will also attend alongside academics and governments.
- There has been continued resistance against this event, including from the local community and political leaders in the capital.
- Activists from across Scotland are expected to join the demonstration on Monday at the EICC from 10:00am.
On Monday, the SPIE Security and Defence 2024 arms conference will open at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, amidst protests and opposition from Edinburgh councillors and the local community. It will run from 16th to 19th September with one of the world’s biggest arms companies, Leonardo, as its main sponsor and also Thales as an event sponsor.
It was just in May 2024 that Edinburgh Council passed a ban on arms trade advertising on council-owned assets or events. However, arms-length organisations like the EICC were not included in this ban, so now Edinburgh will play host to arms companies like BAE Systems, MBDA and Thales who have made record profits over the last twelve months from the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
CAAT’s data browser confirms that Leonardo, the main sponsor for this event, manufactures the laser targeting system for the F-35 fighter jet programme in Scotland’s capital, while Teledyne, who features on several panels throughout the conference, make signalling and sensing components for the F-35 and BAE Systems are the leading UK company for the global F-35 programme. It was just last week that Israeli use of an F-35 stealth fighter was confirmed as carrying out a specific attack in Gaza.
Activists from across Scotland and the local Edinburgh community are expected to join a demonstration called for by Edinburgh Campaign Against Arms Trade and others outside the EICC on Monday 16th September from 10:00am to demand the conference centre does not allow arms events or sponsorship from arms companies like Leonardo in the future.
Kate Nevens of Edinburgh CAAT said:
“It is absolutely disgraceful that the EICC is the latest in a long line of publicly-owned spaces being exploited by warmongers like Leonardo. These arms companies have no place in our city as they continue to play such a vital role in the latest campaign of genocide we’re all witness to in Gaza.
We need Edinburgh Council to take more than baby steps to end the grip these merchants of death have on our city. We need the SPIE Security and Defence conference cancelled and all arms-length organisations, like EICC, to immediately follow the arms trade advertising ban implemented by the Council.”
ENDS.
For further information please contact Emma Cockburn ([email protected])
- SPIE Security and Defence 2024: https://spie.org/conferences-and-exhibitions/sensors-and-imaging#_=_
- Full Edinburgh Council notes on relevant motion: https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s70730/9.1%20Policy%20on%20Advertising%20and%20Sponsorship%20-%20Proposed%20Amendments.pdf
- SPIE Security and Defence 2024 Programme: https://spie.org/documents/ConferencesExhibitions/Programs/2024/ESI24-TechnicalProgramme-ExhibitGuide.pdf
