Protesters gathered outside the Sydney office of the Australian arms manufacturer EOS (Electro Optic Systems) on February 21 to oppose the sale of high-tech military equipment to Saudi Arabia, which is waging a genocidal war against the people of Yemen.
They carried placards reading “Stop the arms trade” and “EOS is providing weapons to human rights abuser, Saudi Arabia”.
The ABC reported on February 20 that the Australian government is providing tens of millions of dollars to support EOS, which is exporting 500 remote weapons systems (RWS) to the Saudi Ministry of the Interior. Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has also consistently lobbied the Saudi government on behalf of Australian defence companies, including EOS.
The company’s RWS is a remotely-operated vehicle-mounted platform that holds cannons, machine guns and missile launchers.
Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale queried a Defence Department official during a Senate estimates hearing that day as to whether there was any guarantee Australian weapons systems would not end up being used as part of the Saudi regime’s bloody war against Yemen.