Premier challenged to drop support for Israel-aligned weapons EXPO
Labor Premier Chris Minns has been challenged to abandon support for the Indo-Pacific Weapons expo, a showcase for weapons corporations who manufacture weapons used to massacre innocent civilians in Gaza.
The Minns Labor Government and Investment NSW are the principal sponsors of the International Weapons Exposition, which will be held from 4-6 November at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour. The exhibitors include Israeli weapons corporation Rafael.
NSW Greens Justice Spokesperson Sue Higginson has written to the Premier and Police Minister urging them to abandon their support for this event, and to ensure police facilitate any peaceful protest that takes place.
Senator David Shoebridge, Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs said:
“This weapons expo, subsidised and supported by Labor governments, is actively promoting some of the least ethical global weapons corporations that have spent the last two years profiting from a genocide in Gaza.
“Instead of promoting the global weapons industry, Australia should be promoting the global peace movement.
"Every cent that is spent on these weapons comes from public money, and every cent would be better spent on health, education, climate action and global solidarity.
"I have seen firsthand what goes on at these places, companies like Rafael showing snuff films from Gaza as a way to sell their weapons."
Greens MP Sue Higginson, NSW Greens Spokesperson for Justice and Solicitor said :
“Labor Premier Chris Minns must withdraw support for this sick expo of weapons that kill and the corporations who profit from the massacre of innocent women, children and men. It is important the people of NSW know that this obscene event is taking place in one of our public spaces where school children gather on excursions in Darling Harbour,”
“We are a multicultural city, yet Labor Premier Chris Minns is sending a clear message to Palestinian and Lebanese communities that he endorses the weapons corporations who are massacring families in Gaza and accelerating Israel’s genocide. He must be held to account for this now,”
“I expect that people will protest this event and I am deeply concerned about their safety. Under the Minns Labor Government the NSW Police have felt emboldened to demonise and assault people protesting for peace.”
Hannah Thomas, former Greens candidate for Grayndler and human rights advocate, said:
“If Minns had a shred of morality, or any respect for the will of the people of NSW, he would cancel this grotesque celebration of the companies that made the genocide in Gaza possible. But the more likely outcome is that he’ll send hordes of police — armed to the teeth and frothing to get at protesters— to defend a gathering of war criminals toasting their success atop piles of Palestinian corpses.”
“Disarmament Week reminds us that peace is under threat not just from weapons companies fueling war crimes, but also from increasingly militarised police forces in countries like Australia who brutalise protestors calling for peace to quash dissent to genocide.”
“While the bodies of emaciated children are still being pulled from the rubble in Gaza, the NSW Government is rolling out the red carpet for arms companies to showcase their latest depraved weapons, many of which will have been "battle-tested" in Gaza.”
“It is obscene for a government to sponsor a war-profiteers' carnival while its own people struggle to afford housing, healthcare and groceries.”