Protesters glued themselves to the road outside the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales' most famous hotel, on Thursday, September 3, to block an arms fair. The protest and subsequent blockade on the Celtic Manor bridge were co-ordinated by a broad coalition of prominent anti-war, human rights, and Welsh activist groups. Protesters were pictured on the bridge confronted by a number of police officers.

Around 60 peace activists, anti-war groups, and local residents arrived outside the venue early in the morning with the aim of stopping the "Welsh Government arms fair" from taking place. With them they brought signs, banners and Welsh flags.

People used their bodies to block traffic entering the Celtic Manor Resort and International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), where the "Defence Security Resilience Cymru" summit was being held. The event had attracted arms industries exhibitors from across the "defence" industry.

The blockade caused major traffic delays near the venue and the M4 motorway. It was reported that several people were arrested at the scene, including a 72-year-old woman from Caerphilly, "on suspicion of breaching the peace". Seven people were charged with public order offences.

The summit was co-organised by the Welsh Government, Business in Focus, and the aerospace and defence trade body ADS Group. Plaid Cymru has been criticised by the anti-war movement for being part of organising the event alongside a subsidiary of General Dynamics Land Systems, one of the world's largest arms companies and a supplier of weapons to the Israeli military. Other exhibitors were BAE Systems, Chronos Technology, and FinTech Wales.

It is reported that participating in organising the protest, a protest firmly in the tradition of the Welsh people of opposing militarisation and destruction of the environment, were Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) / CND Cymru, Newport Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Mid Wales Against Arms & Cardiff Stop the War, Black Lives Matter Cardiff & Vale & Cardiff4Sudan, and Christians for Palestine.

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https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/protestors-glue-themselves-road-outside-34561103

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