Seville cancels Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair

In December the city of Seville cancelled the Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair due to take place in the city in May 2021. In a press release issued today by the City Council of Seville, the Councilor of Urban Housing, Tourism and Culture, Antonio Muñoz, announced the cancellation of the Electronic Warfare Europe arms fair, highlighting the "inconvenience of linking the city's image as a major congress venue to a controversial event with national and international repercussions."

The same arms fair was due to take place in Liverpool, UK, from 16-18 November 2020, but was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Campaigners from the Stop Ferias de Armas (Stop Arms Fairs) welcomed the decision, saying: "We do not want to be complicit in the weapons used to repress oppressed peoples such as the Palestinians or the Yemenis. Spanish institutions must not allow arms fairs in their spaces.... we hope [the Seville] City Council will be consistent and also cancel the Aerospace and Defense Meetings Seville 2021, sponsored by Airbus, a company that profits from war crimes in Yemen."