People Against Prisons to blockade Wellington weapons conference

Members from People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA) will join Peace Action today at the Wellington Westpac Stadium to protest the Defense, Industry & National Security Forum.

Some of the world’s largest arms dealers are meeting in Wellington today to exhibit and trade in weapons and war machinery. Companies represented at the forum include the notorious private-prison contractor, Serco.

“These companies profit from war, death, and human misery,” says PAPA spokesperson Ti Lamusse. “It is disgraceful that they are allowed to meet and trade at public venues.”

Although PAPA is primarily concerned with the degrading treatment of people in New Zealand prisons, Lamusse says war profiteering is connected to the prison industrial complex.

“Large multinational corporations like Serco profit from both the mistreatment of prisoners and the waging of war. The same economic system that allows for war profiteering encourages mass incarceration.”

“Weapons dealers make money at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable people. Every bomb dropped on a Palestinian village puts money in the pockets of these death dealers,” says Lamusse.

“Because this death dealing is happening in Aotearoa, we are responsible for stopping it. We will not let it continue. We are proud to stand with Peace Action against this industry of evil.”

ENDS

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