Mr. Macdiarmid was invited to continue his talk, but declined. Those who had come to attend the talk were sympathetic to the protestors’ position, and pressed the BAE manager for answers.
The activists questioned Mr. Macdiarmid over his participation in a company which was responsible for arming regimes from countries such as Indonesia, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe. (The first three are engaged in programs of repression of indigenous peoples, Saudi Arabia is renowned for its anti-democratic internal repression and Zimbabwe has arms embargoes, which BAE has violated.) Mr. Macdiarmid relied that at 53 he was too old to change his mind. He declined to comment on the view expressed by a former head of PR at BAE, Don McLen that ‘Sometimes in this business, you have to leave your conscience at the door.’
It was communicated that anyone participating in such a company would be supporting the murder of civilians, the stability of oppressive regimes and the use of bribes such as the 20 million pound ‘slush fund’ that BAE has kept to bribe Saudi Royals. (The Guardian reported BAE’s corrupt practices two days ago). The arms companies are inevitably engaged in such practices, as are driven by a profit motive.
Macdiarmid protested that it was not his responsibility what his company was doing. It was pointed out that his company was able to continue, because that is the attitude that people took. By working for the company, Macdiarmid supported it.
The activists advocate a philosophy of ‘think global, act local’: being aware of the atrocities being perpetrated in places like Indonesia and trying to address their root causes in our local communities.
Matthew Baker, one of the activists present said: ‘It’s really important that everyone consider the ethical impact of the career they choose.’ ‘Every major atrocity committed in the world is committed with weapons made and sold by some person, with the backing of some other person: we can’t allow this to continue’. He continued ‘don’t believe the propaganda on the company’s website - do your own research’.
Mr. Macdiarmid, who holds a senior position in BAE, was attending the meeting the evening after the company’s Annual General Meeting. When the activists left, it appeared that Mr. Macdiarmid had decided to cancel the talk. The protest had been calm and civil throughout, on both sides. The activists had met through the Oxford Student Activist Network, though this action was independent of that group. They are in support of the aims of the Disarm DSEi and Campaign Against the Arms Trade groups. The group is determined that arms dealers in Oxford will always be confronted by students who will expose the crimes that their corporations have committed.
We call on all JCRs and MCRs to take action to ensure that their college is not investing in arms companies.
The leaflet given out by the activists will follow soon.
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The action was a real success, notwithstanding the fact that only 4 students actually came to hear the BAE warmonger speak, while around 20 protestors showed up to show they strong disagreement with what BAE and arm companies are doing around the world... it was quite clear that he wasn't prepared for that and felt totally "disarmed"!
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
Yes Yes Yes
06.05.2004 11:01
As you can see not a great deal of effort is required to bring these people to shame. The facts speak for themselves and cannot be argued with. Hooooraayyyyyy. Bring it on, shake it up and take it down.
king'O'dahill
Homepage:
http://www.schnews.co.uk
If you want this kind of action publicised...
06.05.2004 11:23
We will send a photographer and write about what you are doing and your reasons...
Tel 01865 425 425 or e-mail
rosalind miles
e-mail:
rmiles@nqo.com
doing it for ourselves
06.05.2004 11:57
re "if you want local publicity"- it looks to me like they got some....
media mole
If you want this kind of action publiscized ...
06.05.2004 16:47
I guess one reason why people prefer to publish on indymedia is that they can use their own words and photos rather than have them 'interpreted' (dare I say mediated!) by a journalist. It's a weakness of the conventional media that it doesn't allow that.
Of course there is the problem that we don't have the same number of readers (yet...)
Anyhow hope you keep visiting the site, Roz ;-)
indyperson
link to leaflet
07.05.2004 20:01
linker
for the .doc leafletter:
08.05.2004 00:06
and...
the forms and documents containing vital information that should be openly accessible and free of charge should not be presented in a proprietary format.
Roberto Di Cosmo.
Come on, Get yourself some Free Software
this is a marketing-like site; some of you may be more comfortable there...
and now that we're here, why don't you stop looking at the indymedia site from b***y explorer and upgrade to Mozilla!
ana
Pension plans and adult responsibility
08.05.2004 15:36
What next. Disrupting meetings of friendly cabinet members who are just supporting a war of liberation in Iraq and disrupting his re election for Oxford East. I sincerely hope not. The poor man.
Students should get their priorities right and remember it is never to early to start a pension plan.
Paul
micro$oft evilleness
09.05.2004 16:30
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Exciting Career Opportunities in the “Systems” Industry!
Join BAE Systems: "the leading systems company, innovating for a safer world."
With BAE, you can explore exciting career opportunities in the world of the arms trade.
For example:
- SELL arms to the repressive governments of Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, and Israel!
- MARKET expensive weapons systems to the governments of countries that can’t afford healthcare for the poor, like South Africa!
- SUPPLY the US Department of Defence with the armaments it needs to bomb and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan!
- NEGOTIATE to sell arms to embargoed countries (Libya, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo)!
- KEEP Labour MPs in your pocket to lobby for your arms deals and subsidize your industry more than any other except agriculture!
- BE the lead UK contractor for the US "Star Wars" Missile Defence system!
- MAINTAIN a 20 million pound slush fund to bribe Saudi royalty for arms contracts!
- PROMOTE the supply of weapons to brutal governments and armed forces in civil wars across the world!
BAE SYSTEMS: Helping Indonesia bomb civilians in East Timor since 1984. Helping the Israeli military maintain the occupation. Helping the Zimbabwean government suppress dissent. Helping India and Pakistan keep the Kashmir conflict alive. Helping South Africa spend its resources on fighter jets instead of AIDS medicine. Helping buy Saudi Arabian princes shiny new cars...
__Who do you want to help today?__
"Sometimes in this business, you have to leave your conscience at the door" --Don McLen, Former PR director, BAE Systems
Learn more about BAE Systems and the crimes of the arms trade:
http:// www.caat.org.uk – Campaign Against the Arms Trade
For info on the Saudi bribery scandal, see The Guardian, search “BAE”
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.
hehehe
09.05.2004 16:39
responsible student
PDF version
09.05.2004 17:15
Fuck BAE, AND Microsoft
Not really so hot
06.07.2004 22:06
Having been to a variety of protests for all sorts of stuff in various places, and having done video work for Indymedia in the States, it was frankly embarrassing to watch you all hold up upside-down signs against windows while the speaker openly laughed at you.
Hope you all enjoyed the wine you stole.
T+