Hull Campaign Against the Arms Trade

Hull CAAT meeting, 2-4pm, Friends Meeting House, Bean Street.

2009-10-03T03:09:00.000-07:00

Hull CAAT meeting, 2-4pm, Friends Meeting House, Bean Street.

Particularly after this weeks' encouraging news, as below.

In case you missed yesterday's encouraging news...

Fraud office seeks BAE's prosecution over bribery
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/01/bae-serious-fraud-office1

The Guardian's comment pages, from today and yesterday, are also
worth a look especially in tackling the issue of arms industry jobs...

BAE immunity for jobs' sake? Yeah right
Mark Thomas
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/02/bae-jobs-sfo

BAE's government-backed rip-off
Clare Short
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/bae-deal-blair-sfo

The SFO is right to pursue BAE
Lord Goldsmith
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/01/bae-sfo-bribery-claims

CAAT's September email bulletin

2009-09-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

Contents:

Thank you for a great DSEi demo!
National Gathering - speakers, times, practicalities, register now
See an honest BAE ad campaign
Arms industry PR offensive - and CAAT's response
The Libyan connection
CAAT goes webwise
Running away with success

1. Thank you for a great DSEi demo!

On Tuesday 8 September CAAT supporters gathered at the ExCeL centre to call for an end to the DSEi arms fair. With placards and chanting they showed the passing arms dealers what they thought about their deadly business. Two routemaster buses later transported CAAT supporters to UKTI DSO's office to highlight government support for the arms fair. Thank you for having made this great DSEi protest possible!

Filmmaker Kate Johnson has also made a brilliant film of CAAT's protest, check it out here!

See our action report for more information and photos.

Alarmingly the Conservative Shadow Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, gave a speech on 7 September where he promised that a Conservative government would increase government support for arms exports. Read more and take action .

2. National Gathering - speakers, times, practicalities, register now

Join South Africa's 'Mr Clean' at CAAT's National Gathering on 31 October.
CAAT are delighted to host Andrew Feinstein, former South African ANC MP, to share his experience of fighting corruption in the arms trade and its impact on South Africa. We'll also be joined by defence economist Paul Dunne and Greenpeace campaigner Louise Hutchins to discuss: "Ending arms production: Is the answer blowing in the wind?"

As well as the chance to meet other campaigners, attend workshops and pick up new skills, this year's National Gathering is not one to miss. All for a modest contribution of £5 for waged and £2 for unwaged participants. Find out more and book now.

3. See an honest BAE ad campaign

BAE Systems is trying to clean up its tarnished image with an ad campaign highlighting its record on innovation, employment and patriotic values. You can see its ads, with their union jack imagery, on posters, news websites and taxi livery.

If you are sickened by this, and want to see an honest BA ad campaign, look at the CAAT website. We have compiled six great spoof adverts that tell the whole truth about BAE. Find them here.

4. Arms industry PR offensive - and CAAT's response

It's not just BAE. Arms industry body, the Defence Industries Council (DIC), has gone on a public relations offensive, frightened that public spending cuts will threaten their profitable activities. Arms company bosses held a press conference in Westminster on 1 September to try and convince MPs and the public that they are underfunded and undervalued. Want to know what we think? Read our response in Comment is Free.

5. The Libyan connection

Amid the news blitz around the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the media became very interested in UKTI DSO's attempts to sell arms to Libya. They were especially interested in DSO Director Richard Paniguian's assertion that there had been "high-level political interventions" to support arms sales. But when the Times newspaper asked DSO about this, they denied it and said CAAT "made it up", before being forced to backtrack. Read more.

6. CAAT goes webwise

CAAT is embracing and updating its new media profile! This means joining lots of new websites and exciting communities in order to raise our profile and spread the word about ending the arms trade. In addition to our tweets on Twitter and our news and pictures on Facebook, you can now also find us on one of these online communities: Demotix, Flickr, reddit, Bebo, Jaiku, Vox, Live Journal, Tumblr and Stumbleupon.

Are you a member of any of these? If so, please add us to your friendship circle! We will gladly return the favour. In the meantime – check us out at all of these sites, and don't forget our usual CAAT Blog.

7. Running away with success

Kat Hobbs and Sami Wannell really took the high road in their efforts to raise money for CAAT by participating in the Great Yorkshire run on 6 September. Not only did they finish the 10km slog but raised a fantastic £1,500. There is still time to donate by visiting the B my charity website.

And thanks also to supporters who participated in the Worker's Beer teams at festivals over the summer. Together, they raised over £2,500 towards the campaign.

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Campaign Against Arms Trade is working for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade, together with progressive demilitarisation within arms-producing countries.

Hull Vigil for Peace, Hiroshima Day, 2009

2009-08-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

Hull Vigil for Peace, Hiroshima Day, 2009

A vigil for peace will be held in the Peace Garden, Hull, Sunday 9th August at 12.30pm.

The Peace Garden is situated at the Hull College end of Queen's Gardens.

The anniversary of Hiroshima Day itself is 6th August dating back to 1945 when the atomic bomb was used for the first time. Three days later, on August 9th, a similar atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

"These first atomic bombs were the weapons of mass destruction of their day. Each bomb killed about 100,000 Japanese people, including those dying later of after-effects," says Martin Deane, secretary with the Hull Stop the War Coalition.

"Six years ago we started a war against a country that we wrongly accused of developing one of these weapons. Meanwhile we have 200 of them and a commitment to develop the next generation. But just one nuclear warhead today, exploded half a mile above Queen's Gardens, would destroy the Hull area out to Beverley. We should fear these weapons.

"Some people argue that they have kept the peace for 60 years. Yet millions continue to die in wars. Deterrence is the attitude of the gunslinger."

The vigil will be supported by members of the Hull Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Hull Stop the War Coalition, Hull Green Party, and Hull Campaign Against the Arms Trade, amongst others.

Hull CAAT: Next Meeting: Sat. 3rd October, 2009
Zoo Café, Newland Ave, Hull. 2-4pm.

Mayors for Peace
- is a worldwide movement of the mayors of cities, led by the Mayor of Hiroshima, for a more peaceful world through nuclear disarmament.