Farnborough International Airshow 2004
Keith Parkins | 21.06.2004 13:16 | Anti-militarism | Repression
In the past Farnborough International Airshow has been a straggle of arms protesters and nothing more. This year we should be thinking big – anti-globalisation, global warming, aviation expansion, anti-war. A week of protest, talks, events and rallies, culminating in a weekend carnival that brings the week's themes together.
Monday 19 July 2004 - Sunday 25 July 2004.
Monday 19 July 2004 - Sunday 25 July 2004.
In the past Farnborough International Airshow has been a straggle of arms protesters and nothing more. This year we should be thinking big – anti-globalisation, global warming, aviation expansion, anti-war. A week of protest, talks, events and rallies, culminating in a weekend carnival that brings the week's themes together.
Monday 19 July 2004 - Sunday 25 July 2004.
The recent G8 meeting in Georgia was a disaster. It wasn't only the vacuous statements that are are always made at these meaningless international summits, it was also the remote nature of the summit, the paramilitary clampdown, that left little room for protest. [see SchNEWS issue 458]
http://www.schnews.org.uk Farnborough International Airshow is the world's biggest arms fair. It also the world's biggest showcase for the aviation industry. The world's media are there. Let's change tactics. Turn this into a massive anti-globalisation rally - along the themes I will outline – a precursor to the European Social Forum in London in the autumn, a dry run for G8 in Scotland next year.
http://www.dissent.org.uk The last Farnborough International Airshow, two years ago, was a disaster for the industry, visitor numbers were well down, order books were at a record low. How things have changed. With the War on Iraq and the phony War on Terrorism, the arms industry has never had it so good. The same is true for the aviation industry – low cost airlines booming, the government pushing for massive airport expansion.
Farnborough International Airshow is the world's biggest arms fair. Headquartered in Farnborough is BAE Systems, one of the world's biggest, and certainly one of the most aggressive, arms companies. Protest against arms sales is an airshow tradition. Do the people who work in the industry see the mutilated body parts their products leave behind? There was public outcry following the beheading of an employee of Lockheed Martin. Deathly silence for the dismembered bodies that are left behind after attacks by their missiles and helicopter gunships. How many employees at BAE Systems have had to collect up the body parts left behind by their cluster bombs, how many have witnessed the long slow death of their victims who have been radiated by depleted uranium munitions? Organisers CAAT.
http://www.caat.org.uk A year after George W Bush stood on an aircraft carrier and said the War with Iraq was over, the situation in Iraq is rapidly deteriorating, and is now spilling over into Saudi Arabia. The war has not been forgotten by the British people, even Blair was forced to admit it cast a long shadow over the recent elections. We need a massive antiwar mobilisation to coincide with the airshow. If you were opposed to the War on Iraq, Farnborough is the place where the weapons used in Iraq are bought and sold. Suggested organisers: Stop the War Coalition, Respect, Green Party.
http://www.stopwar.org.uk http://www.surreystopwar.org.uk http://www.respectcoalition.org http://www.greenparty.org.uk The biggest threat facing the world today, bigger than war, bigger than terrorism, is global warming. As War with Iraq destabilises world oil supplies, what does Brown do, call for energy efficiency, reduction in our dependency. Er no, he pressurises OPEC into increasing output. Aviation is now the biggest single cause of global warming. Low cost airlines have stimulated a massive growth in the number of flights. Blair is trying to force through massive airport expansion. To date those opposing airport expansion have in the main been a bunch of nimbies, unable to see the bigger picture, only too willing to push the expansion to another airport. We need all the airport and aviation campaigners to mount the biggest rally this country has ever seen. And what better place than at Farnborough, the self-declared home of aviation, before the world's aviation media. Global warming and the unsustainability of airport expansion should be the theme. Suggested organisers: AEF, FoE, Greenpeace, Rising Tide.
http://www.aef.org.uk http://www.foe.co.uk http://www.greenpeace.org.uk http://www.risingtide.org.uk Environmental campaigners have set up a camp near the Stansted Airport in Essex to protest against its expansion. The protesters intend staying put until expansion plans are dropped. 01279 870558
http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/ Farnborough Airport is the business airport for Europe. The local community did not want it, but they were never allowed a say. Farnborough Airport is a key component of globalisation. With the clampdown on world summits, let's think out of the box and wrong foot them, a change of tactics. This is an obvious venue for an anti-globalisation rally in front of the world's media. Aviation is a key component of globalisation. Our country is being flooded with cheap food inputs. Small farmers should be part of this rally. Suggested organisers: Resist, Dissent, Respect, Green party.
http://www.resist.org.uk http://www.dissent.org.uk http://www.respectcoalition.org http://www.greenparty.org.uk Farnborough International Airshow is not just about selling weapon systems or about selling aircraft, it's also a propaganda exercise about convincing the public of the 'benefits' of the industry. Propaganda we must counter. That is why it is so important to be there and help get the message across.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291898.html The weekend is family day. Large attendance by the public. The week of protest to culminate in a celebratory carnival that ties the week together, samba bands, all the fun of the fair - the public attending the airshow invited to join in the celebration.
An ambitious schedule with only a few weeks to go. But if the will is there, it can be done.
You can even act before the airshow begins. Lloyds TSB is sponsoring the Presidents Enclosure this year. If you bank with Lloyds TSB (or even if you don't) pop into your local branch and tell them what you think. Ask for them to withdraw their sponsorship of this obscene event.
Lest we forget, Farnborough International Airshow is the world's premier event, the world showcase, for killing people, destroying the environment, destroying the planet.
Footnote: The Army Show is being held in between Farnborough and Aldershot two weeks before the airshow – Queens playing field, between A325 and Queens Avenue, beside the Basingstoke Canal. A fun day out for all the family! Learn what fun you can have killing people. Learn how to torture Iraqis in your care. Sat/Sun 3/4 July 2004.
http://www.armyshow.co.uk
Keith Parkins
Homepage:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291898.html
Comments
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No chance
21.06.2004 13:37
Farnborough and Army 2004 will be different, these shows both attract family visitors in large numbers, many former soldiers visit the Aldershot Army shows. I wonder what the reaction to abuse will be by a former soldier taking his wife and children out for the day ?
I wonder how commited many activists will be when they know they face a real chance of a reaction ?
PT
Big it up!
25.06.2004 11:37
I'm not sure I'd describe others years protests as a 'straggle' of protestors as they've been sincere and well intentioned even if few in number.
Farnborough is a challenge for those opposed to the arms trade there's no doubt. Farnborough is both an arms fair and a public air display unlike say DSEi, which is exclusively an arms fair and where the visitors are only those buying or selling arms rather than the general public too.
But I don't think this challenge should dissuade people from taking action, it just needs to be effective - and this of course depends on your aims.
Standing on the sidelines shouting abuse at visitors is unlikely to change anyone's mind. It's worth bearing in mind that the profile of the visitors does vary depending on which day of Farnborough week you're talking about. Monday to Friday it's trade days with buyers, sellers and those working in the aerospace sector including their families. Saturday and Sunday it's the general public, youth and aviation fans.
I can't say, or rather don't know what other people will be doing at Farnborough but this is what Campaign Against Arms Trade plan:
Monday, 19 July. A peaceful demonstration with some street threatre, props and leaflets. Simply being there shows your opposition to arms trading. We'll be explaining how the arms industry is financed out of the public purse. Knowing that your company exists due to a large slice of corporate welfare rather than single minded hard work and determination isn't something that most arms workers know, and their employeers probably don't want them to know either. CAAT welcomes people joining its peaceful demonstration on Monday. We won't be shouting abuse at people for sure, quite the opposite.
Saturday 24 July. We hope to run some public engaugement. This will simply be informing th e public that they are visiting an arms fair. Most of the public don't realise Farnborough, unlike say the Air Tatto at Fairford - which is solely an airshow, is an arms fair. I don't expect anyone will turn round and head home on hearing this but some visitors might think twice about attending next year.
For more information contact the Campaign Against Arms Trade office on: 020 7281 0297 or email
Andrew Wood, CAAT
Andrew Wood
e-mail:
action@caat.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.armsfair.com
More Chance Than You'd Think?
25.06.2004 12:05
I'm not sure I'd describe others years protests as a 'straggle' of protestors as they've been sincere and well intentioned even if few in number.
Farnborough is a challenge for those opposed to the arms trade there's no doubt. Farnborough is both an arms fair and a public air display unlike say DSEi, which is exclusively an arms fair and where the visitors are only those buying or selling arms rather than the general public too.
But I don't think this challenge should disuade people from taking action, it just need to be effective - and this of course depends on your aims.
Standing on the sidelines shouting abuse at visitors is unlikely to change anyone's mind. It's worth bearing in mind that the profile of the visitors does vary depending on which day of Farnborough week you're talking about. Monday to Friday it's trade days with buyers, sellers and those working in the aerospace sector including their families. Saturday, Sunday it's the general public, youth and aviation fans.
I can't say, or rather don't know what other people will be doing at Farnborough but this is what Campaign Against Arms Trade plan:
Monday 19 July. Peaceful CAAT demonstration with street theatre, props, leaflets, placards. Show your oppositionn to the arms trade just by bearing there. We’ll concentrate on informing visitors about the funding of the arms companies from the public purse, or corporate welfare, as it’s sometimes called. All are welcome. If you want to shout abuse at people don’t come!
Saturday 24 July. Public engagement – informing the public that they’re visiting an arms fair – most visitors don’t realise Farnborough is an arms fair. I don’t expect they’ll throw their hands up and turn away but maybe they’ll think twice about coming next year.
Contact CAAT on 020 7281 0297, email:
Andrew Wood, CAAT
Andrwe Wood
e-mail:
action@caat.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.armsfair.com