No To Arms Fairs – Refugees and Migrants Welcome

Next week we are seeing a return to ‘business-as-usual’, with the UK government’s annual Security and Policing Fair taking place in Farnborough on 15-17 March.

On Tuesday 15 March at 6pm, a vigil will be held outside the Home Office in London to remember those who have lost their lives to our government’s border regime and arms trade.

Stand with us against the arms fair – join the WhatsApp Group for the Health Bloc.

The Security and Policing Fair brings together arms and surveillance companies with policing, prison  and border enforcement agencies to sell their wares and share tactics with government representatives from around the world. In previous years, arms companies such as BAE Systems, Babcock and Thales exhibited to representatives of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel.

Despite the UK government’s recent assurances that it would be easing visa requirements for certain Ukrainians fleeing war, this year’s fair will be focusing on border enforcement and surveillance technologies.

Medact members will be attending this vigil to oppose the fair, and to call for a move away from violent security measures to human security that prioritises collective health and wellbeing.

Join our WhatsApp Group to organise and stay updated about our health bloc at the vigil. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected].

If you can’t attend in person but would like to show your solidarity, here are some materials you can share online (via JCWI).