A Labour-run council has been hammered after ‘banning’ military equipment from its annual Armed Forces Day celebrations. The City of York council decided to prohibit the appearance of kit at Saturday’s event due to “residents’ concerns” amid planned protests by the pacifist Peace Pledge Union (PPU) and ForcesWatch, which says it is committed to “demilitarising the future”.
Military equipment, from weapons to vehicles and other pieces of kit, are often seen at Armed Forces Day events which are held every year across the country. York’s Conservative group called the move “ridiculous”. A spokesperson claimed “fear of protest” was behind the decision. They said: “York Conservatives believe this is no excuse to diminish celebrations for the brave men and women in our Armed Forces.”
The spokesperson also claimed the council made the decision “behind closed doors” and “against the advice of senior council staff”, according to the York Press.
Earlier this week, council leader Councillor Claire Douglas, said: “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.
“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.”
The council did not clarify what it meant by “residents’ concerns” but it was believed to relate to worries over the planned protests.
A soldier that lives in the region told the UK Defence Journal: “We were told the kit wasn’t welcome this year because of 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 added the restrictions on military hardware was “a ban by any other name”.
Leader of York’s Conservative group, Councillor Chris Steward, said the appearance of kit was a “crucial part” of Armed Forces 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.
“It shows how far the Labour Party has fallen from a proud, patriotic party which recognised the courageous and vital job our military do, to one more concerned how their actions may offend their increasingly extreme supporters who seem to want to protest against our long-held values.”
Another Tory councillor told the newspaper it was “disappointing” that the council seemed to think it could “pick and choose” support for the Armed Forces.
York marked the occasion a week after the official national celebrations at the end of June.
There have been no reports of protests in York on Saturday where the council introduced a “brand new Armed Forces Day trail”.
It was billed as “a self-guided journey through the city’s key military sites”.
ForcesWatch and PPU said there were plans for demonstrations and other actions, such as vigils and flyering, in more than 50 locations last weekend in response to Armed Forces Day celebrations.
The groups claimed this was a record number.