A council has been criticised for banning military equipment from its annual Armed Forces Day celebrations, citing residents’ concerns about planned protests.
Labour-controlled City of York council made the decision to ban the equipment over fears that the Peace Pledge Union (PPU), a pacifist organisation, and ForcesWatch, which is committed to “demilitarising the future”, said they would hold protests in the city this weekend.
York marked Armed Forces Day on Saturday following the official national commemorations last week, but city authorities banned equipment ranging from weapons to vehicles from the parade by local military groups and institutions.
The city instead introduced a “brand new Armed Forces Day Trail”, a self-guided tour of its key military sites with a map and guidebook.
“With our military partners, we carefully considered residents’ concerns and decided that the day will go ahead as planned, with the only change being no military equipment on show,” explained council leader Claire Douglas.
“This decision in no way diminishes how seriously we take Armed Forces Day and our deep respect and commitment to those who serve and have served. We look forward to a fantastic day.”
While Ms Douglas did not confirm what the residents’ concerns in question were, one soldier who lives in the region told the UK Defence Journal it was over “fears it would spark protest”.
“It’s frustrating, especially when Armed Forces Day is meant to be a chance for the public to see what we do and engage with us directly,” the soldier said, adding that it was a “ban by any other name”.
But the PPU argues that Armed Forces Day events give children a “simplistic image of armed force as glamorous and fun” and helps to fuel the rise of “militarism in everyday life in the UK”.
Over the years, protest groups have regularly staged protests across Britain on the day of military celebration. But the number of events being held on the day across the country has dwindled over time.
ForcesWatch and PPU recorded a record number of demonstrations on the national Armed Forces Day last weekend, claiming that protests had tripled compared to last year, taking place in more than 50 locations.
Chris Steward, leader of the conservative group of councillors in York, said military equipment was a “crucial part” of the day. He told the Telegraph:
“What use is any military without equipment? We totally condemn this decision of the Labour councillors. There has been no cross-party involvement,” he said,
Mr Steward accused the Labour party of falling from a “proud, patriotic party” to one which is “more concerned how their actions may offend their increasingly extreme supporters”.
