UK's arms company defends weapons sales to Saudi Arabia

The chairman of a British arms manufacturer has defended his company’s extensive deals with Saudi Arabia despite its ongoing military aggression against Yemen, describing the monarchy as an appropriate customer for its weapons and services.

“We are not here to judge the way that other governments work, we are here to do a job under the rules and regulations we are given,” Roger Carr, the Chairman of BAE Systems said Wednesday, said in an annual general meeting (AGM) after being confronted by shareholders affiliated with Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) movement.

The shareholder-turned-activists interrupted Carr five minutes into his speech while carrying posters denouncing BAE’s complicity in Saudi Arabia’s year-long military campaign against Yemen that has martyred more than 9,500.

The posters bore the caption: “900 children martyred in Yemen. Stop arming Saudi Arabia!”

“We will stop doing it when they tell us to stop doing it,” Carr said in response, insisting that Riyadh, as a crucial ally to London, was an entirely appropriate customer for his company.

The two shareholders were carried out of the venue and Carr kept on with his speech. But towards the end organizers were forced to switch off the microphones to prevent activists from taking over the podium.

Around 30 activists with links to the CAAT had bought shares in the company to gain access to the AGM.