No Arms Fair at Twickenham Stadium

International Armoured Vehicles 2023 is scheduled to take place at Twickenham Stadium from January 23-26. At the fair, delegations from human rights abusing states, including apartheid Israel, will meet with representatives from a range of global arms companies, including those whose products have been used by Israel in its militarised repression of Palestinians.

Write to the Rugby Football Union, the owners of Twickenham Stadium, and demand it revokes permission for the venue to be used.

Rugby Football Union

Twickenham Bookings

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I am writing in regard to the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) arms fair, due to take place at Twickenham Stadium from 23-26 January 2023.  
The fair will be attended by official delegations from a range of human rights abusing states, who will meet with representatives from companies manufacturing weapons and military technology that have been used in attacks on civilians across the world. 
The event will facilitate the transfer of weapons and military technology used to violate human rights. I am therefore demanding that the Rugby Football Union, as owners of Twickenham Stadium, revokes permission for the venue to be used.  
Several of the companies attending the fair produce weapons and military technology which have been used in armed attacks on Palestinians, and other civilian populations across the globe. This includes: 
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Rafael, an Israeli government owned weapons manufacturer. Rafael produces SPIKE missiles, which have <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/07/22/gaza-airstrike-deaths-raise-concerns-ground-offensive">been used</a> by the Israeli military in repeated indiscriminate attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.  </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private arms company, supplying 85% of UAVs used by the Israeli army. Defence for Children International-Palestine <a href="https://www.dci-palestine.org/2021_is_deadliest_year_for_palestinian_children_since_2014">have documented</a> how Israel used armoured drones, alongside warplanes, in its May 2021 bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which killed over 250 Palestinians. Elbit Systems has been subject to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/elbit-systems-denies-making-cluster-bombs-after-australia-future-fund-bans-investment-in-it">divestment and exclusion</a> by a range of financial institutions due both to its complicity in the violation of Palestinian rights and its association with the production of banned cluster munitions. </li>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Leonardo, which is part of a consortium <a href="https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/leonardo/">producing</a> the Typhoon jet. Typhoon jets have been <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/thankyouforacting-UKstoparmingsaudi">used by Saudi Arabia</a> in its indiscriminate bombing campaigns in Yemen. The Saudi-led bombardment has frequently targeted Yemeni civilians in clear violation of international humanitarian law. Leonardo <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2019/09/arms-companies-failing-to-address-human-rights-risks/">failed to respond</a> to Amnesty International when asked to outline how it met internationally recognised human rights responsibilities. </li>
</ul>
Through their supply of weapons and military technology used in unlawful attacks around the world, these companies are complicit in grave violations of international law. Events like IAV 2023 provide them with a direct platform to showcase their deadly weapons to representatives of human rights abusing militaries.  
In the 2023 event programme, representatives from the Israeli military are scheduled to attend. In previous years delegations from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both part of the deadly bombardment of Yemen, have also attended. 
As the owner of Twickenham Stadium, please revoke permission for this event.  
Yours sincerely,

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No Arms Fair at Twickenham Stadium