WCC-controlled venues spurn arms forum under mayor's watch

Monday, 11 September 2017

A Peace Action Wellington protester is arrested outside the TSB Arena during mass arrests at the 2015 New Zealand Defence Industry Association forum.

A controversial arms industry forum that sparked protests and arrests is returning to Wellington – but it's been barred from council-controlled venues.

Following pressure from activists, Mayor Justin Lester has agreed a controversial arms industry forum should not return to any council-controlled venues under his watch.

Arrests and conflict at the 2015 expo sparked Wellington Mayor Justin Lester to introduce the ban on council-controlled venues hosting the controversial arms forum.

But despite that stance the event will go ahead at Westpac Stadium, because it is not under council control.

Instead, the stadium is managed by the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust – a charitable trust jointly settled by Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester said the arms industry conference was not appropriate for civic venues.

Members of Peace Action Wellington celebrate after charges stemming from the 2015 arms industry expo protest in the capital were dropped.

* Peace protester feels vindicated after police trespass charge thrown out

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The most recent Wellington-hosted New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) expo in 2015 at the council-owned TSB Arena was marred by the mass arrest of protesters, mainly on trespassing charges, which were dropped earlier this year after after a lengthy court battle with police.

Lester said the expo – whose main sponsor is nuclear weapons and arms giant Lockheed Martin – was 'not an appropriate event for a civic venue' and the council wanted to steer clear of associated conflict.

Peace Action Wellington said the trust should remain accountable to ratepayers and not host the expo at the stadium.

'We'd like the stadium to take the same principled stand that Justin has and we hope this inspires other cities to stand against war-mongers and profiteers,' Peace Action spokeswoman Ellie Clayton said.

The group are planning a protest at the stadium, which will host the conference on October 10 and 11.

Peace Action have lodged a petition with the council and the regional council, asking them to reject holding the forum, which the group calls a 'weapons expo', anywhere in the Wellington region.

Stadium chief executive Shane Harmon said the October event would go ahead, and while there would likely be a small number of weapons traders exhibiting it was not primarily a weapons expo, with the main focus being on general supply products for the defence force.

The stadium hosted dozens of similar industry events and defence and security were important government functions, he said.

He respected the right to protest and people's diverging views on the arms industry and said the trust would be willing to engage with activists to hear their views.

Apart from Auckland hosting the event last year the forum has been held in the capital since 1997, often at Te Papa.

NZDIA deputy chairman Andrew Ford said labelling the forum a 'weapons expo' was 'stretching the truth' and the event was mainly about bringing together suppliers of services and products to support the defence and national security sectors, not weapons.

Most people would support New Zealand's defence forces being properly equipped to defend themselves and fulfil their peacekeeping duties, he said.

Clayton said, much like the growing distaste for the tobacco industry, there was a shifting tide against the arms industry with many of the companies represented at the expo manufacturing weapons for sale to political regimes that violated human rights.

The group are working with the council to make any policy permanent after Lester's mayoralty is over.