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Birmingham students take a second swipe at BAE Systems

Brum Uni student | 06.11.2007 23:00 | Anti-militarism | Birmingham

University of Birmingham students from the People & Planet Society continued their campaign to kick BAE Systems off campus today by disrupting a recruitment presentation by BAE staff.

Students deliver a damning account of BAE s record to staff and students
Students deliver a damning account of BAE s record to staff and students

A BAE staff member watches on as another public presentation goes wrong
A BAE staff member watches on as another public presentation goes wrong

BAE staff seemed unconcerned with the moral issues raised during the presentati
BAE staff seemed unconcerned with the moral issues raised during the presentati


At 2pm over 10 students entered the WG12 Lecture Theatre in the Aston Webb building, where the presentation was being held, and gained access to the lectern to give a brief presentation on BAE Systems complicity in corruption and human rights abuses around the world. The students then remained in the room to hear BAE Systems' own presentation and to ask questions at the end. BAE Systems' staff struggled to reply to attacks on their companies and their own complicity in the numerous reported instances of corruption, including the Saudi Arabia Al Yamamah arms deal and their involvement with oppressive regimes and serial human rights abusers, including Chile, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. BAE treated most of these allegations with contempt, once dismissing them as 'philosophical' during questions.

The protest follows a previous demonstration at the Finance Careers Fair at the University of Birmingham on 24th October ( http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2007/10/384355.html), where students dressed as weapons inspectors cordoned off the BAE Systems' stall to 'gather evidence'. It also comes amongst a series of similar protests at other universities, including Lancaster ( http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384768.html) and Sheffield ( http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/384840.html).

Students at the University of Birmingham will continue their campaign with a public demonstration, organised by the University of Birmingham Bust the War Society, at the Science and Technology Careers Fair on Wednesday 7th November and will join students from Warwick at the Warwick University Engineering and Technology Fair on Thursday 8th November to take part in “A day of action against the arms trade". These events take place as part of a 'month of action' against the company by Campaign Against the Arms Trade ( http://www.caat.org.uk).

Birmingham student protester Mark Wandsworth said that:
“These recent demonstrations, both at Birmingham and around the country, against BAE Systems indicate renewed awareness of the increasing levels at which these companies are represented on university campuses over more socially beneficial sectors. People should be worried that skilled graduates are being lured into the defence industries by high salaries, from huge profits generated by perpetuating conflict, and slick PR machines, which act so as to obscure and distort the serious moral and ethical issues of working for an arms company. More attention also needs to be given to their presence in university research, where public money is being used to subsidise research partnerships with these companies which could be much better spent in areas which promote the preservation of human life over its destruction.”

Brum Uni student

Additions

more pictures

07.11.2007 11:20


more pictures

Brum Uni student


Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Excellent work

07.11.2007 03:02

Brilliant work lads. We need more actions like this to expose these legalized murderers. One would request the organisers to promote the events broader as many of us within the university campuses didn't know about them.

Cheers.

AadiBuddh


Hound the bastards!

07.11.2007 18:29

You'll be having a direct impact by discouraging previously unaware people from taking up tempting jobs with BAE. Great work guys.

wobbly in the blood


fantastic work!

07.11.2007 18:33

keep it up!

dv


The students are roused!

08.11.2007 22:53

I salute you! Excellent actions. You make me proud of my alma mater. In my day we did a sit in and as they escorted Leon Brittan out, I kicked him in the shin.

But your action here is more effective and imaginative - keep it up.

William Greaves