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Black Lives Matter protest, Seattle WA, 30 May 2020
Kelly Kline, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Dear friend

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICERS MURDERED GEORGE FLOYD, A
BLACK MAN, IN THE STREET SPARKING GLOBAL PROTESTS.

A subsequent investigation by Sky News [1] revealed UK-made shields were
used by US police forces against Black Lives Matter (BLM) supporters who
were protesting the muder. This despite the UK Government claiming it had
"_no evidence_" of this.

Last June, 166 MPs signed a letter [2] calling on the UK to halt the sale
of 'anti-riot' equipment to police forces in the US following widespread
scenes of violence against protesters.

GLOBAL REPRESSION

According to the consolidated criteria for arms exports [3] _"The
government will not grant a licence if there is a clear risk that the items
might be used for internal repression._" However, THIS HAS DONE NOTHING TO
STOP THE SALE OF UK-MADE ARMS TO REPRESSIVE POLICE FORCES AROUND THE WORLD.


The UK government actively promotes the sale of crowd control equipment -
and with it, the militarisation of policing via UK Defence and Security
Exports, the UK government's arms export promotion unit, and via
multi-million pound arms fairs like the Defence and Security Equipment
International DSEI.

In fact, just three months ago, representatives from US attended the
Security and Policing Arms Fair [4], a secretive event at which arms,
border, policing and surveillance companies gather to exhibit equipment and
technologies. The fair is backed by the UK's Home Office and does not even
allow journalists to attend.

WE KNOW THIS EQUIPMENT WILL BE USED FOR REPRESSION, BECAUSE IT ALREADY HAS
BEEN.

TAKE ACTION

WATCH London CAAT's latest video [5], released today, which makes the link
between British arms companies and the export of weaponry to police forces
in the U.S. and around the world.

READ Siana Bangura's article posted today on the CAAT blog, "A Year After
George Floyd Was Murdered, UK-Fueled Domestic Militarisation continues the
world over [6]"

WRITE to your MP expressing your concern and asking them to support the
cancellation of arms export licenses [7] to U.S. police forces.

SUPPORT groups in the UK campaigning for justice, including the United
Friends and Family campaign [8], and keep updated with Black Lives Matter
UK [9]

TOGETHER, LET’S PUT A STOP TO REPRESSIVE MILITARISED POLICING, AND THE UK
ARMS EXPORTS THAT ENABLE IT. 

[10]

Kirsten Bayes
CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMS TRADE

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