Over 100 people gathered outside Twickenham Stadium, the home of England Rugby, in freezing temperatures to protest the International Armoured Vehicles Conference taking place there. Groups represented included PSC, Stop the War, Jews for Justice for Palestine, XR, Movement for the Abolition of War, Amnesty and local Buddhists. Buddhist monks banged drums and Raised Voices choir sang anti-war songs. Many passing cars hooted in support, showing local opposition to the event.
Although billed as a conference, the event exhibits some of the latest land weaponry from over 700 of the world’s leading arms dealers. Israel’s military, complicit in the abduction and killing of Palestinian civilians – adults and children – will be present. And so will their weapons manufacturers, who boast that their equipment is battle tested as they regularly “test” it on those Palestinian civilians.
The delegates include representatives from dictatorships and repressive regimes, states which do not hesitate to use tanks and armoured vehicles against their own populations.
Making money from the sales of equipment used to terrorise, abduct and kill children and civilians is FAR from fair play. FAR from sports. And FAR from community.
