TODAY (24 July) delegates attending the Farnborough Airshow will be met with protesters from Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Greater Rushmoor Action for Peace and East Berkshire Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
The protest, ‘Say No to the Horrorshow’, is timed to coincide with Farnborough’s military day, and will highlight complicity in Israel’s attack on Gaza, as well as conflicts fuelled by the arms trade across the globe. Local groups are also highlighting the impact the airshow has on the local community.
One of the aircraft marketed at Farnborough is the F35 combat aircraft. Israel is currently using F35s to bombard Gaza. UK industry makes 15 per cent of every F35.
Companies exhibiting at Farnborough include some of the world’s biggest arms dealers, including BAE Systems, Elbit Systems, Leonardo and Lockheed Martin. Protesters say all these companies are profiting from, and are complicit in, Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
CAAT’s Media Coordinator, Emily Apple, said: “It is obscene that Farnborough is marketing the exact same aircraft Israel is using in its genocide in Gaza. This is an aircraft that is dropping massive bombs on civilians and devastating lives. Farnborough is a horrorshow; a marketplace for death merchants to peddle their horrific wares and profit from war crimes.”
Julia from Greater Rushmoor Action for Peace said: “We’re especially worried about the impact on local school children, noting that some schools need to close early because of the event. Speaking as a mum, I worry that children attending the “Pioneers of Tomorrow” day are being influenced to join the arms trade without a clear understanding of what that means.”
* More information on the F35 contract here.
* More information on military aircraft showcased at Farnborough here.
* Source: Campaign Against Arms Trade