Edinburgh University students close careers fair in protest against BAE Systems
Abi Haque
A careers fair at the University of Edinburgh was
closed down last week after the organisers’ decision
to invite the world’s largest arms firm to the event
triggered a nonviolent protest by students. The
students laid down in front of the stall run by BAE
Systems in a symbolic die-in.
The protesters included supporters of the Campaign
Against Arms Trade (CAAT), who point out that BAE
arms some of the world’s most repressive regimes,
including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. They also
accuse BAE of excessive influence within the UK
government.
The CAAT activists were joined by members of
Students for Justice in Palestine, who are angry
about BAE’s sale of weapons parts to the Israeli
government.
The peaceful protest saw students waving banners
reading “BAE – Blatant Absence of Ethics” as they
chanted “BAE sells, Israel kills”. Police arrived as
students laid down in front of the BAE stand.
Security staff cleared the hall and closed the event
for thirty minutes. No arrests were reported. Student
Liam O’Hare told the same publication that BAE “are
being given a platform to persuade people to join
their company, and we are opposed to them being
given that platform”. He said that the university was
in effect still supporting BAE, despite having
ditched its own shares in the company five years
ago.
CAAT recently launched a new Ban BAE campaign, aiming for an end to
arms companies’ presence at careers fairs. Students are expected to
campaign against BAE at a number of recruitment events in the coming
weeks. For more information about BAE Systems and the campaign please
visit theCAAT Universities Network micro-site.
http://caatblog.wordpress.com/
