PEACE campaigners in Bristol last night staged a vocal Halloween-themed demonstration outside a talk given to students by arms trade firm boss Leo Quinn.

Campaigners dressed as the “grim reaper” and held up a banner with the slogan “Think we’re scary? You’ll find Arms Dealers inside” at the protest outside Bristol City Hall, where QinetiQ CEO Mr Quinn was addressing a University of Western England (UWE) event.

A spokeswoman for Bristol Against the Arms Trade says: “At a time when Bristol prepares to celebrate its Green Capital status, residents are keen to show the business of death is not welcome in our city.

“The QinetiQ talk to UWE students claims to be a respectable event, but really they’re promoting a trade that makes huge profits from killing and injuring innocent civilians around the world.

“Highlighting the arms trade is particularly important when Britain is yet again going to war in the Middle East.”

Activists have begun lobbying city councillors to ban arms companies from City Hall and have written to UWE vice-chancellor Steven West opposing similar future events.

Britain’s sixth largest arms firm was the part of the Government’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency — but was flogged to profiteers in June 2001.

In November 2007 an inquiry by the National Audit Office reported that taxpayers could have gained “tens of millions” more from the privatisation.

The watchdog was also critical of the incentive scheme given to Qinetiq managers, the 10 most senior of whom gained £107.5m on an investment of £540,000 in the company’s shares.

paddym@peoples-press.com