Protest at Top Gear Live's links to the arms trade

A report on London Campaign Against Arms Trade's protest at Top Gear Live, ExCeL Centre

As part of a campaign against Clarion Events' ownership of the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair (DSEi), Saturday saw London Campaign Against Arms Trade (London CAAT) carry out a protest at Clarion's latest show, Top Gear Live, which took place this Saturday at the ExCeL Centre in London. Top Gear is the BBC's phenomenally successful motoring show.

Demonstrators masked as the three presenters of the show (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May) engaged with the public on the issue of Clarion's involvement in the arms trade. A number of passers-by were sympathetic to our cause and a couple were as vehemently opposed to the arms trade as London CAAT are.

London CAAT member Rose Shawyer said "the BBC has a worldwide reputation for producing quality programming that is in complete contrast with the sordid image of the arms trade. This reputation is being sullied by its continued dealings with Clarion Events. They should stop their involvement with Clarion Events".

The last DSEi was in September of this year and saw countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia invited to buy the latest weapons. The UK government continues to sell weapons to countries involved in the Arab Spring, with Egypt and Bahrain recently receiving weapons and dual-use equipment worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Contact email: londoncaat@riseup.net