Four Green Party members of the European Parliament today participated in protests outside the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London.

Scott Ainslie (MEP for London), Ellie Chowns (MEP for the West Midlands), Gina Dowding (MEP for the North West) and Catherine Rowett (MEP for the East of England) joined hundreds of protestors outside the ExCel centre to voice their concern about the UK government’s continued support for the world’s biggest arms fair.

Sharing a stage with Hiba Ahmad, Youth activist at Global Justice Now, all four MEPs spoke on the links between the arms trade and fossil fuels, how climate change fuels conflict, the complicity of the UK government in the war in Yemen, and the direct impact of war on the environment.

At the protest, Gina Dowding MEP, said: “War is not just a waste of resources that could be used to tackle climate change, but is itself a significant cause of environmental harm.”

Having co-signed a letter to Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, the MEPs are calling for the enforcement of an embargo on the arms trade with Saudi Arabia. Since the start of the bombing of Yemen in March 2015, in which more than 97,000 casualties have been reported, the UK has licensed over £4.7 billion worth of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Last month, a UN panel of experts found that British-made bombs had been used in the targeting of civilians in the country.

Ellie Chowns MEP, member of the Committee on International Trade in the European Parliament said: “UK-made arms are being used to perpetrate human rights abuses. Our government is prioritising profit over people. The UK’s involvement in the arms trade - we are the second largest arms exporter in the world - is a matter of shame for our country.”

Catherine Rowett MEP added: “At a time when civilians are being bombed and starved in Yemen thanks to British-made weapons, the UK’s hosting of this arms fair is sickening. The UK has blood on its hands but is shamelessly continuing to flout international standards on human rights.”

As Green MEP for London, Scott Ainslie said: “I am deeply ashamed that this arms event is taking place within my constituency. The UK should be leading by example, rather than actively seeking to sell weapons to murderous regimes who believe they operate above international law.”

Read the full text of the letter to Liz Truss below:

Dear Ms Truss,              

We are extremely disturbed to see that once again the UK is set to host the world’s largest arms fair and that your guest list will include highly controversial representatives from Saudi Arabia.

Just two months after the Court of Appeal ruled that British arms sales to Saudi Arabia were unlawful because of the conflict in Yemen, the UN has this week recognised Britain’s complicity in war crimes in the region, due to its provision of arms and logistical support to a Saudi-led coalition.

While the UK has established itself as the world’s second largest exporter of arms to Saudi Arabia, the European Parliament has confronted these irresponsible sales by repeatedly calling for the implementation of an EU-wide arms embargo to the country. The European Parliament has also requested enforceable sanctions against EU countries that fail to implement common rules, agreed at international level, on the arms trade. These include not granting arms licenses when there is a clear risk that they will be used to seriously violate international humanitarian law (IHL). Grave breaches of human rights and IHL in the region has seen some EU countries restricting and refusing export licenses to members of the coalition.

As pro-peace British MEPs, we are concerned that the UK’s departure from the EU could uncouple the UK from these common standards. We worry this will result in the UK government’s continued complicity in the conflict in Yemen, and with even less restraint or approbation. We hereby call for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia to be implemented immediately.

Sincerely,

Ellie Chowns, Green MEP for West Midlands
Gina Dowding, Green MEP for North West England
Scott Ainslie, Green MEP for London
Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for South West England and Gibraltar
Alex Phillips, Green MEP for South East England
Catherine Rowett, Green MEP for the East of England
Magid Magid, Green MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber