A Christian peace activist, was arrested on September 7 and charged with criminal damage following a protest at the UK Defence Conference, at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in central London, as part of the week-long Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair. Chris Cole sprayed the words ‘Build Peace not War Machines’ on the conference center doors and ‘arms trade = death’ on the steps. He poured red paint and wrote ‘stop this bloody business’.
Cole was later charged with approximately $5000 in damages and will appear at a plea hearing on September 17. For the duration of the DSEI arms show, he is also excluded from within the M25 motorway that encircles Greater London as part of his bail conditions.
Cole said “Especially in a time of war, we are called to resist the great lie that our security and well being lies in bigger and better weaponry. The truth is that only justice and love will in the end; bring real peace and real human security to our nation and the world as a whole.”
Christian peace organisations joined campaigners against arms sales on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican church to denounce Britain's involvement in the international arms trade. Christian anti-arms campaigners say that even a global recession, weapons fabricators are making and is supported by government. They denouce the use of taxpayers' money being used to help private companies sell arms in conflict zones.
Banks such as Barclays, Halifax Bank of Scotland, HSBC (a major mortgage bank that operates in the U.S.), Lloyds TSB, and Royal Bank of Scotland are directly supporting weapons production, according to the Christian campaigners. "
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