Student’s Anti-BAE Halloween Protest
Students entered the Great Hall on campus at to protest the inclusion of weapons manufacturer BAE Systems in this year’s Lancaster University careers fair. They unfurled a banner reading ‘Get a career in killing with BAE Systems’ in front of the BAE stall, handed out leaflets and talked to students around the stall. A ‘die-in’ was then held in Alexandra Square, around a banner reading ‘BAE Systems: A job to die for’. Many students stopped to ask about BAE and the protest.
BAE Systems was targeted because of it’s close ties with Lancaster University. The university holds shares in BAE Systems, and the Management School offers students the ‘BAE Systems Certificate in Management’, a course funded by and ran in conjunction with the company.
Ian McCulloch Green Councillor for the University said “While BAE remains as New Labour’s favourite arms dealer, they will continue to be at the centre of demonstrations such as this. It’s time we adopted the ‘ethical foreign policy’ promised us 10 years ago and stopped selling arms to oppressive regimes such as the Saudis, Malysia, etc. They may dress themselves up as just another local engineering company, but the fact is that 86% of their sales are military”
The full story can be found on the Indymedia website.
For more info on BAE check out the Campaign Against the Arms Trade.