The Home Office and an arms trade body received an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday 12 March, as activists targeted them both over an arms fair and their complicity in supporting Israel‘s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
ADS Group: complicit in genocide
Hours before the UK government’s ‘Security and Policing’ fair was scheduled to begin on 12 March, Palestine Action targeted the organisers of the arms fair – ADS Group. Activists covered the London offices of ADS group in red paint, symbolising their complicity in Palestinian bloodshed:
The Security and Policing arms fair is a Home Office event running from 12-14 March. It brings together arms companies, cops, spies, border guards and delegations from other countries – including Israel. Participants of the event include Israel’s Elbit Systems, BAE Systems, and L-3 Harris — all of whom are known suppliers for the Israeli military.
Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms firm, whose supply of weapons has been described as “crucial” to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. They supply 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment, as well as tanks, bullets, bombs and missiles.
ADS Group, organisers of the event, act as representatives and advocates for the world’s largest arms companies. The group offer arms companies exclusive access to arms fairs to gain market and stakeholder access – for the purposes of weapons sales – along with business and network support and government lobbying and access to politicians.
Their events have been attended by scores of MPs, with ADS itself undertaking lobbying and influencing on behalf of its weapons trade members.
The Home Office: also propping up Israel’s war crimes
Since 7 October, Israel has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, injured over 72,000 and displaced the vast majority of the Gazan population.
Following Palestine Action’s work, campaign groups the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) and Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) staged a protest outside the Home Office over the arms fair:
The protest has begun against “Security and Policing” outside the Home Office with Andrew Murray, Vice President of @STWuk pic.twitter.com/tutGEEumfa
— Netpol (@netpol) March 12, 2024
Thank you so much to everyone who joined @Netpol
and us outside the Home Office this evening to say no to the Security and Policing Arms Fair and stand in solidarity with all those facing war and repression, especially Palestinians in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Hj4FfcdERU— CAAT (@CAATuk) March 12, 2024
A Palestine Action spokesperson said:
Collaborating with Israel and their weapons trade demonstrates our government’s ongoing complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Palestine Action will take necessary measures to intervene, disrupt and expose those who are gathering in order to profit from Palestinian deaths.
Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action
