Land Warfare Conference Welcoming Committee

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October 27, 2008

Protests and Peace Gala to ‘Welcome’ the Land Warfare Conference

“River city to host conference on the best ways to make a killing”

Peace vigils daily Mon Oct 27- Oct 31 from 8am

Gala peace action Weds Oct 29 from 4pm

Outside the Brisbane Convention Centre

cnr Glenelg & Merivale Sts South Brisbane

When military companies, army chiefs and academics gather this week to discuss furthering the delicate science of killing people for profit, they will be met with determined opposition. The Land Warfare Conference is being held from 27^th to the 31^st October at Brisbane’s Convention Centre and will see some of the world’s most powerful military manufacturers exhibiting their wares at the taxpayers expense.

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Formerly an annual event involving exclusively Defence Force and government personnel, the Land Warfare Conference has been opened up to allow private sector participation despite being sponsored by the Queensland state government..

Hamish Chitts, a former Australian infantry soldier turned antiwar activist and member of the Land Warfare Conference Welcoming Committee, said; “We have the vile situation where arms dealers are able to pitch their products of death and destruction directly to the conference. There is every possibility that aspects of army policy will be set by the public relations and advertising campaigns of arms dealers.

“Hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers have been killed in the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, occupations that should never have happened and these vultures of free enterprise are sitting in the driver’s seat ready to take as much profit as they can. We’ve got a better plan for the Australian Defence Force, bring all of the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan!”

The Land Warfare Conference Welcoming Committee will stage protests in opposition to the conference. Every morning of the week a vigil will gather at 8am and on Wed 29^th, from 4pm, a lively Counter-Gala protest will be held to coincide with, confront and ridicule the cheese, wine and weapons Gala being held inside the conference.

Dr David Eden, also from the Land Warfare Conference Welcoming Committee, said, “Here we see business and government working hand in glove to increase the capacities of the armies all over the world to kill people for profit and make a quick buck off it. It is clear that it is up to ordinary people to try to stop this horrific waste of situation.

Behind all the guff about ‘security’ and wars on terror’, in practice this is about better equipping ordinary working class people to kill other working class people to protect and enrich the wealth of the rich.

We know from bitter experience that often economic crises accelerate the drive to war. Now more than ever we have to be the wrench in the gears of this military machine.”

For more information contact: Hamish Chitts t) 0401 586 923 or Dr David Eden t) 0423 961 679