Newport arms fair protest: activists arrested in Wales 2026

Key Points

• Peace campaigners and anti-war protesters held a protest march outside the Defence Security Resilience Cymru conference at ICC Wales, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, on 3–4 September 2026.
• A total of eight people have been arrested during the protest march on 3 September 2026, among them, a 72-year-old lady from Caerphilly for causing breaches of the peace; other seven people have been detained on public order offenses, police said.
• A total of seven protesters were later charged for “locking on” causing serious disruptions on 4 September 2026, as reported by South Wales Argus.
• Demonstrators have glued themselves to the road and barricaded with their bodies the route to the conference holding site using banners, Welsh flag, and megaphone, as reported by WalesOnline and Nation.Cymru.
• The campaign organizers have described the event as a “Welsh Government arms fair” considering the participation of the Welsh Government as a co-host together with Business in Focus, ADS Group, and General Dynamics Land Systems.
• According to the Welsh Government, the government will continue engaging with defense and security sectors in developing an ethical framework; it was made clear that Enterprise Minister Adam Price will not attend the conference despite being advertised previously.

Newport (Wales Times) September 03, 2026- South Wales became the focus of national attention as peace activists, anti-war campaigners and local residents staged a large protest outside the Defence Security Resilience Cymru summit at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), within the Celtic Manor Resort complex. The two-day event, running from 3–4 September, brought together buyers, suppliers and innovators from the defence, security and national resilience sectors, and was co-hosted by the Welsh Government alongside Business in Focus, ADS Group and General Dynamics Land Systems, according to campaign materials and reporting by Nation.Cymru.

As reported by Stephen Price of Nation.Cymru, eight protesters risked arrest by blocking roads around the building with their bodies in an effort to halt what they termed a “Welsh Government arms fair”. Gwent Police confirmed that officers attended a planned protest and made eight arrests in connection with the demonstration, with a 72-year-old woman from Caerphilly detained on suspicion of breaching the peace and seven others arrested on suspicion of public order offences; all eight remained in custody as enquiries continued, a police spokesperson said. South Wales Argus later reported that seven of those arrested had been charged with locking on to a person, object or land to cause serious disruption, naming Tiegan Burrows, Emilia Chilcott, Sophia Damerell, Leigh Evans, Christina Jenkins, Deirdre Murphy and Patrick Walker among those charged.

Protesters were pictured gluing themselves to the road on the bridge leading to the convention centre, some attaching themselves to the tarmac to block traffic entering the Celtic Manor Resort and ICC Wales, WalesOnline reported. Demonstrators carried signs, banners, Welsh flags and megaphones, and some placed themselves on the bridge overlooking the M4 motorway, causing diversions and drawing a significant police presence to facilitate what officers described as a peaceful and safe gathering.

What happened at the Defence Security Resilience Cymru protest in Newport?

The demonstration began at dawn on Thursday, with campaigners binding themselves to the road outside Celtic Manor as the summit opened, according to reporting by Streamline Feed and WalesOnline. As reported by Stephen Price of Nation.Cymru, Welsh peace activists, anti-war groups, environmental campaigners and local residents descended on ICC Wales to oppose the 2026 summit, with some taking direct action to block access to the venue. Gwent Police said officers were in attendance to support a peaceful protest, but that eight arrests were made for behaviour deemed unacceptable, with enquiries ongoing.

Outside the venue, a protester told BBC Wales:

“We are to disrupt marketplace of that the Welsh government is facilitating.”

Adam Johannes from uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff Stop the War Coalition, speaking on Radio Wales Breakfast, said:

“We believe this arms fair is leading us into significant military expansion, diverting resources away from the genuine issues facing our society,”

and described it as “quite astonishing” that the Welsh Government was listed as a co-sponsor.

Who were the protesters and what did they say?

Christina Jenkins, a 33-year-old carer from Newport and one of those risking arrest, said:

“The UK and Welsh governments are complicit in genocide. The weapons we produce kill civilians around the world, whilst our oil and gas extraction destroys our future and is already killing people across the world now.”

She added:

“We won’t stand for these genocidal industries when we’re meant to be a nation of sanctuary. The biggest threat to national security in the UK is the climate crisis, not our lack of weapons. The Senedd should listen to them and grow Welsh jobs in industries that don’t profit off of killing innocents.”

Leigh Evans, a retired emergency nurse paramedic from Swansea who was among those arrested, said: “We are disgusted that the Senedd would use taxpayers’ money to fund a weapons fair. Over half of people killed in modern warfare are innocent civilians and arms companies at this event are actively supplying genocides and apartheid states around the world.” Evans continued: “The weapons makers at this market place of murder profit from killing innocent people at taxpayers expense. To be Cymry is to resist oppression and therefore war, so it us up to us, the Cymry, the true nation and true believers in Heddwch/peace, to make this non-violent stance against the industrial murder complex.”

Another protester, who said they were born in Casnewydd (Newport), stated: “I’ve watched not only my country, Cymru, be turned into a testing/training ground for genocidal military and weaponry, but now my hometown is being hijacked to allow warmongerers to make profit on weapons that will most definitely take countless lives of children and parents.” They added:

“I can’t stand by and let England’s colonialism continue to have such a chokehold from Casnewydd, to Sudan, to Palestine, Yemen, Congo, Myanmar, Kashmir, Iran, Lebanon, and everywhere else. Liberation now.”

Mel Brister, co-chair of the Newport Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told the South Wales Argus that the group was staging a peaceful protest to express “concern and consternation that there is an arms fair taking place in Newport today sponsored by the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government and a vestige of the Welsh Labour Government.” She said the event aimed to

“trying to attract small and medium sized firms into the war machine and the industrial military complex.”

What is the Welsh Government’s position on the arms fair?

The Welsh Government has said it will continue to engage with the aerospace, defence, security and national resilience sectors to support high-tech jobs in Wales, while promoting respect for human rights and international law, according to a spokesperson quoted by Nation.Cymru. The spokesperson added: “An ethical defence framework is being developed, informed by discussions with Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive counterparts, and will guide future engagement with the sector.”

As reported by BBC Wales, Health Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said sponsorship of the trade fair was “part of the agreement” established by the previous Labour administration, adding: “Agreements must be respected.” He continued: “I don’t believe we will see this happen in the same manner in the future, as we are developing an ethical framework around this,” and said the Government did not wish to support organisations that provide arms for conflicts such as those alleged in Gaza. The Welsh Government also clarified that the Defence Security Resilience Cymru conference was not organised by the Government, and that its official presence was to assist Welsh businesses in identifying opportunities across sectors including critical infrastructure, security and supply chain resilience.

Enterprise Minister Adam Price was previously advertised as a keynote speaker but later said he would not attend, with the Government stating that the advertising for the event was inaccurate and that civil servants remained involved, Nation.Cymru and BBC Wales reported. The Welsh Government allocated £60,000 for the conference, according to BBC Wales.

How have political parties and opponents responded?

Plaid Cymru has faced criticism from former supporters and opposition parties over its involvement in the summit, with campaigners noting a contrast between the party’s previous anti-war stances and its current role. As reported by Stephen Price of Nation.Cymru, in 2025 then–First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth had described it as “shocking and shameful” that Welsh Labour provided £500,000 in grant funding to a company supplying weapons to Israel, and Plaid Cymru had repeatedly opposed similar defence events and called for arms embargoes.

O’ of Reform Wales, the party’s spokesperson for Economy and Transport, said: “Plaid Cymru should not prioritize their political beliefs over the thousands of defence jobs available in Wales. As the world grows increasingly uncertain, both Wales and the United Kingdom require a robust defence industry to ensure our security at home and abroad.” Darren Millar, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, remarked: “There has seldom been a more perilous moment for the Welsh government to convey such a negative message regarding our defence sector,” warning that the actions of the Plaid Government could signal reluctance to support the defence industry at a time of increased defence funding decisions.

Background to the Defence Security Resilience Cymru development

The Defence Security Resilience Cymru summit is a two-day event held at ICC Wales, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, from 3–4 September 2026, aimed at connecting buyers, suppliers and innovators across defence, security and national resilience sectors, according to event descriptions cited by BBC Wales.

The Welsh Government is listed as a co-host alongside Business in Focus, ADS Group and General Dynamics Land Systems, with campaigners branding it a “Welsh Government arms fair” and alleging links to companies supplying weapons to the Israeli military, as reported by Nation.Cymru and WalesOnline. The event follows previous defence trade exhibitions in the UK that drew protests, and occurs amid heightened debate over arms exports, the conflict in Gaza and the role of devolved administrations in defence-related economic activity.

Prediction: how this development may affect activists, policymakers and the defence sector in Wales

This development is likely to intensify scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s engagement with the defence industry, particularly among peace activists, Plaid Cymru supporters and civil society groups who view the summit as inconsistent with prior anti-war commitments. For policymakers, the arrests and charges may prompt further clarification of the emerging ethical defence framework and could influence future decisions on sponsorship, attendance and public funding for similar events.

For the defence sector in Wales, sustained protests and political criticism may affect perceptions of Wales as a location for defence-related investment, even as industry representatives and opposition parties argue that a robust defence industry supports thousands of high-tech jobs and national security. Over time, the balance between ethical considerations, economic priorities and security policy will shape how such summits are organised and whether they continue in their current form.