Quakers protest UK arms trade dinner
Friends were among those who protested against a dinner hosted by the Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) Group
Friends were among those who turned up to protest the lavish black-tie dinner hosted by the Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) Group for the UK arms trade last week.
As arms dealers, MPs and military personnel gathered at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 22 January, activists were outside to raise awareness of the 14 million Yemeni people who it said are at risk of famine and starvation ‘as a result of the Saudi-led coalition’s bombing of their country’.
Campaigners were buoyed by the high profile news that the TV presenter Clare Balding had recently pulled out of speaking the event, after correspondence from Campaign Against Arm Trade (CAAT). The group tweeted that it was ‘thrilled’ about her decision, but said ‘the dinner is still going ahead and so we’ll still be there to challenge them’. Quaker Peace & Social Witness hailed Clare Balding’s decision as ‘a great piece of lobbying from CAAT’s supporters’.
