TWO 70-year-old women prosecuted for taking action against an arms fair in Liverpool told a court today that they had been “doing our duty to our fellow human beings.”

Sue Ferguson and Ruth Knox were among thousands who for weeks took to the streets of the city to oppose an “electronic warfare” arms fair held in the city’s council-owned ACC Exhibition Centre in September.

Both pleaded guilty to defacing public property with spray paint at Liverpool magistrates’ court.

They were given a conditional discharge, where the court could reconsider the case if the women re-offend, but were ordered to pay costs.

In a joint statement to the court, the women said that they had tried every legal means to stop the arms fair taking place including lobbying the city council and staging peaceful protests.

But arms dealers complicit in wars on Yemen and Gaza were exhibiting their wares in Liverpool.

The women told the court: “In such circumstances, and all other methods of persuasion having failed, we felt and still feel, that it was our duty to our fellow human beings to use any non-violent means possible to highlight the obscenity of making financial profits from devastation and death.”

More than 100 people chanted their support for the women outside the court and hailed them as “heroes.”

Outside the hearing Audrey White, founder of Liverpool Stop the War Coalition and secretary of Merseyside Pensioners’ Association, told the Morning Star: “The mood was one of anger, absolute anger, that Liverpool City Council allowed the exhibition, that two women who are 70, and were prepared to stand on their principles against it, were charged, and that they are going ahead with the prosecution of two women who are absolute heroes in this city.

“They are the most respected women in Liverpool. They took a stand against the arms fair and here they are in court. It is good to see Liverpool standing by these two women.”

Unions, pensioners and campaign groups united to form Liverpool Against the Arms Fair last year.

On one demonstration 3,000 people took to the streets and speakers included former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Morning Star ambassador Maxine Peake.

The council has been contacted for comment.