Dying for the Arms Trade

bristol | protests | news report Wednesday October 26, 2005 18:06 by Anna - Bristol CAAT/P&P/AI

Careers Fair Protest

Bristol and UWE students staged a die-in outside the Science, Engineering & IT Careers Fair at the Wills Memorial Building today (26th Oct). Leafletters also spent a couple of hours distributing an alternative guide to the companies present at the fair and chatting with students.

Bristol and UWE students linked with People & Planet, Amnesty International and Bristol Campaign Against Arms Trade staged a die-in outside the Science, Engineering and IT Careers Fair at the Wills Memorial Building today to protest at the presence of arms companies and the increasing militarisation of science. Carrying banners proclaiming "Hands up against the arms trade" and asking visitors to the fair "What do you want to be remembered for?", they 'died' bloody and painful deaths outside the Wills Memorial Building to symbolise the death and destruction wrought by the arms trade. Meanwhile... inside the fair itself, a number of activists distributed an alternative guide to some of the companies who were at the fair, engaging in dialogue with students and pointing out some of the more uncomfortable facts about the companies they were potentially going to be working for. The guide also points out which Bristol Uni departments are engaged in research with or for the MoD and/or arms industry. Activists distributed over 500 brochures and had some very interesting discussions with students attending the fair. There was no hassle, although activists were asked to leave the hall once they were sussed - apparently for "health and safety reasons"... by which logic, a few protestors are more of a health hazard than companies that make weapons that kill! A successful action all in all, a mix of dialogue and confrontation, that hopefully will get people thinking.

Anti-arms trade die-in Alternative guide to the careers fair