Friends witness at Eurosatory

Friends are among peace activists protesting at Europe's largest arms fair

Protesters gather at Eurosatory. | Photo: Andrew Lane.

Peace activists from across the world gathered in Paris last week to protest at Europe’s largest arms fair, Eurosatory. Friends were among them.

The Eurosatory arms fair took place at Villepinte, Paris, from 13-17 June. The international campaigning group Stop Fuelling War staged a protest in Place de la Bourse. The campaigners were joined by forty-five members of faith groups. They included Mennonites and a number of Friends, among them members of France, Germany, Britain, Belgium and Luxembourg and Australia Yearly Meetings. Representatives of the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) also took part.

Stop Fuelling War member Holly Spencer said: ‘Continued emphasis on expensive weapons systems and hugely expensive weapons, such as fighter jets, are not solving the root causes of current or future conflicts and are simply reactionary. We think that more should be invested in peacebuilding and nonviolent alternatives, that often cost a lot less than military solutions and have the potential to have much greater effect on communities.’

Friends have held a vigil at the entrance to each Eurosatory arms fair since 1998.

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