Arms trade

The office of the weapon lobby group AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) was closed down today by peace activists. About twenty activists handed over letters of dismissal to the employees and took over the office.
With this action they protest the influence of the arms industry on European policy making.

How did MEPs vote on topics such as subsidies for the arms industry, arms export controls, and the development of military drones? What intitiatives they took to conserve and strengthen the civil nature of the EU? And what did they say on the use of civil budgets for military purposes?

Journalist Dave Cronin joined the action at the annual conference of the EDA, was arrested and wrote the following blog-post for EUObserver