Campaigners stage protest at Scottish arms trade conference

PEACE campaigners protesting outside an international arms conference shouted ‘murderers’ and ‘shame’ at those attending the event.

Scores of campaigners from the Sink the Arms Fair Coalition were joined by other groups to protest outside the Undersea Defence Technology conference at the SEC in Glasgow.

The three-day event involves presentations on new subsea weaponry and technology with around 1,100 people from 40 countries expected to attend.

Dozens of police were at the scene moving campaigners – some dressed as the Grim Reaper while others wore forensic-style white suits stained with fake blood – away from the venue entrance, backed up by several mounted officers.

A handful of protesters staged a sit-down protest past the barriers and one man is understood to have been arrested.

Among the groups in the coalition are the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Scotland Against Militarism, Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

They were joined by faith groups and unions and many protesters criticised Glasgow City Council, which has 90 per cent ownership in the company which owns the SEC.

Practical support for the event was provided through the Glasgow Convention Bureau, part of the council’s arm’s-length organisation Glasgow Life.

Scottish CND chairman Arthur West said he hoped the protest would mean an end to such events in Glasgow.

‘There are some signs that the council has got the message that this shouldn’t be allowed to happen and we’ll keep campaigning to make sure there’s no repeat of this dreadful event,’ he said.

‘It shows up the absolutely criminal waste of resources that go into producing weapons of war.’

On Monday, Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said the council is not responsible for the conference or contracts between the organisers and the venue.

‘Criminal waste of resources’