War Profiteers

This week marks the non-opening of the world's largest arms fair - Eurosatory - in Paris. Despite the impressive array of fabulously rich backers who look forward to this biennial showcase for the latest and most sophisticated offerings in death and destruction, the salon has been cancelled.

On Wednesday 25th March - the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Saudi-led coalitions war in Yemen - people across Europe have used social media to protest against arms sales to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and other countries involved in the conflict.

Activist in Belgium have successfully stopped a Saudi ship transporting weapons from the US, Canada and Europe from docking in the port of Antwerp.

Activists in London -including WRI affiliates Campaign Against Arms Trade and Peace Pledge Union - have taken direct action to protest and disrupt a major networking and social event held by the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security, and Space Trade Association.

As Turkey begins its military attack on Kurdish regions in northern Syria, leaving dozens killed and tens of thousands fleeing their homes, activists are taking action against arms shipments to the Turkish military, and some states are responding by suspending arms shipments.

Activists in London spent the first week of September repeatedly obstructing and delaying the set up of the DSEI arms fair, one of the world’s largest exhibitions for the arms industry.

Experts from the United Nations has identified fragments of laser-guided missile systems used by the Saudi military in Yemen that they concluded could break international law. The fragments were from a guidance unit stamped with the name "EDO MBM Technology ltd", a company based in Brighton.

China has threatened to impose sanctions on US companies involved in a massive arms deal with Taiwan, and accused the US of interference in domestic affairs after the State Department approved the biggest sale of arms to the island in decades.

Civil society organisations in Canada have written to the country’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, demanding an update on a review into a huge sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

A UN report released in early August said that arms companies from seven countries, including North Korea, Russia, China, Israel and India have supplied weapons to the military in Myanmar.

On Tuesday 18th June the UK's court of appeal has ruled that arms sales to Saudi Arabia are unlawful in an appeal brought against a previous decision by Campaign Against Arms Trade.

A new report from Don’t Bank on the Bomb exposing banks and other financial institutions funding nuclear weapons production has been published.