Local organisations call for an end to arms fair in Malvern

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Wednesday, 19 May 2021 20:05

Over thirty local organisations, leaders and peace groups have signed an open letter to the Three Counties Showground.

It refers to the planned Three Counties Defence and Security Expo (3CDSE) – in effect an arms fair - scheduled to take place there on 7^th and 8th July.

Local residents draw attention in the letter to the death and destruction which the arms trade contributes to in some of the poorest countries of the world. It calls for the Showground trustees to withdraw from hosting an arms fair in Malvern. The residents also make the point that hosting an arms fair conflicts with the Showground’s charitable aims: ‘to promote agriculture, rural crafts and conservation for the public benefit’.

This is the latest stage of a campaign by the Three Counties Campaign Against Arms Trade (3CCAAT) to rid the Three Counties of all arms fairs.

A petition with the same wording as the has gathered nearly 700 signatures.

The letter and petition will be delivered to the Showground next month.

Speaking on behalf of 3CCAAT, Rebecca Tully said, “Speaking on behalf of 3CCAAT, Rebecca Tully said, ‘No decision is taken in a vacuum and the Showground Trustees cannot simply say that this is an outside booking. Where are the events to ‘build back better’? We would welcome third party events such as Futurebuild, that equip local business for a challenging future with innovation and technology, not weaponry.”