Every year, the UK arms trade holds a fancy black tie dinner in central London.
On January the 31st, the ADS (“Aerospace, Defence and Security”) dinner will bring arms dealers, MPs and military personnel together to schmooze, and wine and dine on fancy food and champagne. At the same time, over 17 million Yemeni people are in need of food assistance – starved as a result of the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing of their country. Many of the bombs used are made by the arms companies present at these dinners, and have been sold with the support of the politicians there also.
The war in Yemen has led to an estimated 377,000 deaths through direct and indirect causes, according to the UN, including 12,000 civilians in directly targeted attacks. It has caused one of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The UK government is directly involved in causing this suffering; only action from CAAT has forced the government to review arms sales to Saudi.
Meanwhile, UK-made planes are dropping UK-made bombs in Yemen, and UK arms sold to Turkey have been used in the attacks on Kurds. The UK also supplied weapons to Israel, who frequently attack Palestine.
UK arms sales fuel death, destruction and violence across the globe.
We will not let those profiting from and enabling war to celebrate their deals unchallenged. Bring yourselves, your friends, banners, placards, your voice, and anything else to make ourselves heard.