Northern Friends Peace Board

Campaign Against Arms Trade co-ordinates a Factories Action Network (FAN) to draw attention to the nature of the products coming out of some of the country's factories. This account of activities in Nottiingham comes from Alan McLaughlan, a FAN member.

My pace increases, as does that of my two colleagues . We struggle to keep three abreast on a limited strip of pavement which tracks the curve of a commuter dual carriageway leading to an arms factory on the outskirts of Nottingham.

Why Nottingham? Weeks earlier Jane's Defence Weekly has outlined a 200,000 rifle deal between Turkey and the Heckler and Koch company but a more pertinent reason lies in the fact that local people were willing to commit themselves to organising a campaign with all the effort that involves. There will always be deals, there is however, a scarcity of time and energy.

My colleague barks instructions into a mobile phone about press support. He knows full well that the obedient answering machine on the end of the line will not disgorge any information for some time yet. Our press officer is two hundred miles away aboard an overcrowded bus enduring the first day of a tube strike. Our pace quickens. The sky grumbles its greyness like only a Monday morning can. Of all the detrimental things that can infect a protest, nothing is more debilitating than 'rain'. The road straightens exposing a thirty foot banner between lamp posts. Below people mill, among them I spot a camera crew. Nottingham FAN have done themselves proud, it's the start of a long but fulfilling day.

The Factory Action Network is a new initiative by the Campaign Against Arms Trade and has been set up to help local people investigate and campaign against the activities of arms exporters in their community. This campaign has developed because of the continuing impact of arms exports on people, both here and abroad. Arms from this ountry exported to oppressive regimes; are a significant drain on the British economy through the massive subsidies they attract from government (£1billion in 1994); and have a devastating impact around the world.

The FAN campaign involves finding out what products armsmanufacturers make, and to which countries they export them. CAAT has a database of over 1,500 companies, however, all but general export information is difficult to find. This is why local contacts and local research is vital in following the arms trail. Once a certain amount of groundwork has been achieved this leads to informing the public, the media, local councillors and MP's about the companies' activities. Quite often the public do not realise what is on their own doorstep or that they are supporting a declining market through their taxes. Local councillors can be questioned about their support for the firms and whether they are willing to agree to a clean investment initiative. A more difficult task is to establish a dialogue with workers, trade unions, and management about the trade they are involved in. However, it is necessary to build such bridges if we are to persuade them to seek alternatives. Once started you find many supporters in other N.G.O.'s, thus developing a network of groups who will raise the issues and campaign against the export of arms.

Postscript. It didn't rain until we were on the way back home. However, the camera crew was a 'spook' team from British Aerospace who film protesters. It was another few hours before the BBC turned up.

Contact CAAT at 11 Goodwin St, London N4 3HQ if you would like to be involved with the Factories Action Network