[DEBATE] : (Fwd) More on CT anti-arms fair protest

[Patrick Bond]

PROTEST against Israeli Weapons on display in Cape Town!

Main entrance, Ysterplaat Airforce Base

10am

Saturday 23rd September 2006


The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition invites you to protest against 
international weapons companies on Saturday 23rd September 2006 at 10am 
at Ysterplaat Airforce Base (see map on back).

Thousands of people from the Cape Town Anti-War Coalition, Sanctions 
Against Israel Coalition, Umzabalazo we Jubilee, Ceasefire, and the 
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign are expected to attend.

The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition firstly calls on the SA Department of 
Trade and Industry to explain why its website says it is supplying 
helicopter and aeroplane parts to Israel, while Cabinet ministers keep 
claiming that there is no weapons trade with Israel.

The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition is disgusted that the weapons companies 
have been invited to exhibit their weapons of death in a carnival like 
atmosphere.

Truvelo, for example, is busy manufacturing a new assault rifle. This 
company is expert in manufacturing sniper guns. The company refuses to 
say exactly which groups it is supplying in conflicts in Africa and the 
Middle East. It will only say that its weapons are "sold by manufacturer 
to Government Authorities".

The Eurocopter group makes 14 different military helicopters, including 
the “Tiger” which they supply to Israel, among other repressive regimes. 
The Tiger helicopter has recently been adapted to include an “air to 
ground missile” manufactured by Israeli company Rafael. Missiles from 
helicopters have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of 
Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqi people and are being used by the 
Israeli army to this day in highly populated areas.

BAE Systems makes tanks used to kill people and demolish houses. They 
have a R40 million contract with the US army to make ammunition


The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition is also totally against the practices 
of Denel, which behaves like any other profit seeking arms dealer, 
entering into partnerships with the European weapons manufacturers to 
bid for contracts like supplying repressive regimes such as Turkey with 
attack helicopters.

Many of the arms companies "exhibiting" at the weapons fair are 
allegedly involved in dealing weapons through third party front 
companies to countries with extremely poor human rights records, like 
America, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Angola, Eritrea, Sudan 
and Nigeria. This method involves direct purchases by the foreign aid 
recipient from a government weapons manufacturer contractor, without 
direct government involvement in the process. Others are involved in 
further impoverishing poor countries like Malawi who have no need for 
military equipment but who are forced by the World Bank into taking out 
loans to buy weapons in exchange for aid.

The Cape Town Anti-War Coalition calls on the public to boycott the 
weapons fair. We demand jobs, bread and houses not weapons for 
imperialist war. We demand education, not missiles.


.../ends

For further info please contact:
• Shaheed Mahomed, Cape Town Anti-War Coalition on 082 2020617
• Makoma Lekalakala, Ceasefire National Executive Member and Umzabalazo 
we Jubilee Coordinator on 082 682 9177