Chaos at defence demo at Three Counties Showground

Defiant peace protesters have blocked the entrance to a defence fair.

Angry visitors have had to turn around in their cars. Some have even launched verbal assaults at the protesters from their vehicles.

A man made a 180-mile round trip from Somerset to get a covid vaccine and exploded in anger after learning it had  been cancelled - blaming the protest.

However, protesters pointed out that they had believed vaccinations had already been cancelled.

Meanwhile, a car has just crashed into a pick up truck as someone had to break hard as they couldn't turn in into the entrance because of the barricade.

The Three Counties Showground is playing host to Three Counties Defence and Security Expo (3CDSE) but a group of protestors are  outside calling for its end.

A spokesman for the group, which is called Three Counties Against the Arms Trade, said: "Dozens of supporters of the campaign against arms trade, which sells armaments, of all kinds, to dubious regimes across the world, are in Malvern.

"They are protesting against the Three Counties Defence and Security Expo being held at the Three Counties Showground."

The showground's brown gate is now being blocked by protestors. There are big queues of cars in the area. 

Police are there and have told our reporter they are waiting for further guidance.

One delegate said: "This is bonkers. They don't even know what they are protesting. 

"We had dinner last night and the conversation was all about green and renewable energy.

"It isn't an arms fayre - I don't sell weapons."

Protesters are running from gate to gate at the moment, trying to block people from entering. 

The protesters have formed a group called Three Counties Against the Arms Trade. Those who say they are taking part are: 

Peace Pledge Union
Pax Christi – England and Wales
Stop the War Coalition (Birmingham)
Coventry Justice and Peace
Coventry Friends of Palestine
Hereford Peace Council
Malvern Individuals for Peace
Extinction Rebellion Malvern
Extinction Rebellion Peace
Quakers from various Meetings
Hereford Palestinian Solidarity Campaign
Three Counties Campaign Against Arms Trade
Stroud Red Band

Our reporter spoke to Suzanne Savage from XR Malvern. 

She said: "It’s an amazing turnout of people who understand there’s a connection between this military, industrial complex which is responsible for massive conflict and human rights abuses across the world – there’s a connection between that abuse and the climate because the emissions from the military are absolutely sky-rocketing. In Britain our military alone emits enough carbon to equal that of 60 countries.

She added: "This is an arms and security exposition. We have Lockheed Martin here, we have BAE systems.

"These are companies that are accused and on trial of human rights abuses across the world. There is absolutely no doubt. It is a security and technology fair. Security is just a euphemism for the military."

On the situation with Covid jabs, she said: "We knew that the NHS vaccination centre here is closed today to the public so that’s why we planned to block this gate.

"What we didn’t know is that they had private bookings from school children.

"So the minute the doctors who came in to do the vaccinations told us what was happening we moved everything because we stand absolutely with our NHS.

"It was a deep disappointment to us because we could have stopped this whole arms fair from happening but we let it happen so that the vaccinations could go on and that’s really important to us."

A spokesperson for SW Healthcare, who manage the Three Counties Vaccination Centre, said: "No Covid-19 vaccinations have been cancelled today and booked appointments are still taking place at the at the Malvern Showground.

"Any NHS staff or those arriving for their vaccination appointment will be given access and patients should continue to attend for their vaccination if they are booked to do so.

"Patients who are looking to attend the Three Counties Showground for a walk-in appointment can visit https://www.swhealthcare.org.uk/walk-in-vaccines-worcestershire to see our latest schedule, or visit nhs.uk/grab-a-jab to view available walk-in locations across the region."

Here's the scene from earlier: