Sticking to its Guns? Bristol and the arms trade

bristol | peace | announcement Wednesday April 05, 2006 11:08 by Anna - Bristol Campaign Against Arms Trade astavrianakis at hotmail dot com

Forum on Bristol and the arms trade

Angry about the war in Iraq? About the cosy relationship between arms companies and the government? What about all those people in the Bristol area who work for Rolls Royce and BAE - what about their jobs? Come along to the forum on Bristol and the arms trade on Saturday 15th April, 2-6pm, at 10 Priory Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1TU to discuss and generate ideas for action!

At least 15 arms manufacturers have offices and factories in Bristol and the South West. This includes major international companies such as BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, as well as smaller, specialist firms that provide parts and systems. Many people opposed to the war in Iraq have pointed to the role of these companies in creating the weapons used in the war and the role of senior company executives in helping set the government's agenda. However, these companies also employ large numbers of people in Bristol area, making it tricky for campaigners to make a persuasive argument. This is why we need to think about alternatives to military production and to challenge the government to put resources into making these alternatives a reality.
Bristol Campaign Against Arms Trade is hosting a forum on Bristol and the arms trade on Saturday 15th April, 2-6pm, at 10 Priory Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1TU. There will be sessions on local employment, with Jerry Hicks (ex-Rolls Royce and Amicus trade unionist) coming along to share his thoughts and experiences; on Clean Investment, and the campaign by Bristol Uni students to get the Uni to disinvest from arms companies; and on skills-sharing for direct action, where we can brainstorm about ideas and tactics for challenging the role of the arms trade in Bristol life. All welcome, come along if you can! See http://www.bristolcaat.org.uk for more information.