icScotland - Protest calls for arms trade treaty
icScotland logo
icScotland News Sport icHomes
Search icScotland for:
Today's UK news
News  UK  Today's UK news  Article

Protest calls for arms trade treaty

20:05, Mar 2 2013

 

Students from around the UK have gathered in London to call for an effective arms trade treaty.

Around 100 people staged a protest in which they pretended to die, to illustrate the 1,500 deaths which Amnesty International claims are caused by weapons each day.

They urged the Government to lead the call for an effective arms trade treaty at a United Nations (UN) conference in New York on March 18.

David Grimason, whose two-year-old son Alistair was shot dead by a gunman who was carrying an illegal weapon at a Turkish cafe in 2003, attended the demonstration at Amnesty International's UK headquarters in London.

He said: "The treaty will try to regulate the flow of arms - the import and export between nations - to stop weapons getting into the hands of people like the man who killed my son."

Mr Grimason, 41, from Aberdeen, added: "People are living in misery. There's torture, rape and intimidation, all with weapons that are being misused.

"If governments can tidy up the arms industry, regulate it and stop reckless transfers, then we can maybe see an end to these kind of abuses."

A previous attempt to agree a treaty failed last year, but Verity Coyle, from Amnesty International, was optimistic that an agreement can be reached.

She said: "192 governments will be gathered at the UN to have a second attempt to get this groundbreaking legislation agreed.

"They faltered in July when the US blocked the treaty. But we're hopeful now that we can go ahead, fix the loopholes and create a treaty that ultimately saves lives."

 
Boy faces court over acid attack
PM highlights free trade benefits
Forecasters warn of washout Tuesday
Huhne set for early prison release
Right-to-die case at Appeal Court
'18m ready meal packs thrown away'
Vaz urges Labour EU referendum vow
CBI warns over bank reserves order
HS2 compensation claims rejected
Regions warned to expect deluge
Night GP service 'manned by nurses'
Boris backs EU referendum bill
Broadchurch star triumphs at Baftas
Ministers boost Tory eurosceptics
House rescue women glad to be home
Midwives defend smoking test move
Nine detained over Turkey bombings
EU students owe £50m to the UK
BP withdrawing some Tripoli staff
Turkish PM call for 'cool' response
Top Top

Back Back

E-mail this article to a friend

Printable VersionPrintable version

 
News  UK  Today's UK news  Article
 


Copyright and Trade Mark Notice
© owned by or licensed to Scottish & Universal Newspapers Limited 2013.
icScotland™ is a trade mark of Scottish & Universal Newspapers Limited.
Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site.

 
Advertisements
 
Jobs in Scotland: