The Yes Men Strike in Europe. The American Artist-Activist Group Reminds Developed Democracies To Take Responsibility for Their Global Arms Deals
Prague/ Zürich, Wednesday 11 September 2019
Make fake news good news again, even if for a day. The Yes Men, the artist-activist group famous for its ability to infiltrate any corporate structure, took on the Swiss defence technology company RUAG.
In a fake press conference held on Monday 9th September in Zürich in the name of RUAG Green, a non-existent division of RUAG, the Yes Men pleaded to stop producing ammunition and focus on fixing the world instead.
It also reminded the Swiss they could demand that state-owned company drop any plans to follow up on its controversial arms deal with Brazil.
Monday morning press conference was a culmination of a three-day festival of “absolute theatre” taking place in the neo-renaissance premises of Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the Main Station. Also branded as an initiative of RUAG Green, the Yes Men partnered with the Swiss Neumarkt Theatre to stage They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, a theatrical piece based on Horace McCoy’s book.
The Yes Men and the Swiss ensemble went to great lengths to create a convincing yet playful image of an arms manufacturer coming to a sudden change of heart:
Framed by the festival of Knabenschiessen, which loosely translates as the “boy shooting festival” and belongs among the most popular public events in Zürich dating to 17th century, the artists-satirist developed a universe of fake media including websites, social media profiles, even a fake CNN story.
RUAG in Brazil, RUAG not in Brazil, RUAG…
Preparations to take on the national defence technology company, especially its Ammotec division generating about 420 million francs a year in sales, were in place since May 2019.
The artists’ decision came shortly after the last public controversy pertaining the company, which arose in April 2019: a RUAG Ammotec manager responsible for South American market praised the election of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian right-wing populist president, whose agenda has alarmed global democratic leaders as well as human-rights watch organizations.
“For years now, the country has not moved forward,” said the manager of RUAG Ammotec at LAAD Defence and Security 2019, one of the biggest defence and security trade fairs in Latin America. “With the new government, there is hope that something will change.”
His remarks about the perspectives of a country in a dire security situation, preceded by president Bolsonaro’s decree softening the laws of gun ownership, did not go unnoticed by the global press. The manager was recalled from office and RUAG relocated him to Europe.
The incident was bitterly perceived by the Swiss public and their political representatives, especially from among the Democrats and Socialists. The underlying concern was the 2017–2018 saga of building — or not building — a RUAG Ammotec plant in Brazil.
In late 2017, RUAG Ammotec announced it would invest 15 million euros to open a factory in the Brazilian city of Pernambuco. According to the Brazilian newspaper Estadão, RUAG Ammotec was supposed to become the first foreign company to enter Brazilian ammunition market after the government ended a 70-year long monopoly.
The Swiss government reconsidered the investment in 2018, claiming the initiative could present a reputational risk for Switzerland. The pressure on the Swiss to give up the immense market opportunity increased after the murder of a Brazilian politician and human rights activist Marielle Franco. Franco was shot in March 2018.
Despite assurances from RUAG to act upon the recommendation of the government, the idea of exploring the South American market keeps resurfacing. Even more so after the Swiss Federal Council announced in the spring of 2019 that the company would be restructured and partly privatised. The company’s top representatives mentioned potential buyers from among French and German arms manufacturers, however, private investors could also be considered.
Voice from Brazil and European perspective
“My name is Anderson França, and I am a Brazilian political exile and human rights defender. I come from a country that I can’t go back to because of the violence,” said Mr. França, the only “not-fake” participant of Monday’s press conference.
“Brazil is a country that is seen by Switzerland as a wonderful place because of its vibrant culture — but is now steeped in hatred and violence,” said Mr. França, who was flown to Zürich by the organizers to speak about the nature of the current Brazilian regime.
“In Rio de Janeiro, where we have one thousand and twenty-four favelas, also known as slums, we have the highest number of police deaths in twenty years. Three weeks ago, a sniper murdered a 20-year old in front of TV cameras. The governor applauded such atrocity,” said Mr. França in a speech, reminding the audience of the repercussions of supporting Bolsonaro’s regime.
The responsibility of government officials towards the security of the public is a topic the Yes Men have explored before at home in the United States. The last time they took on the National Rifle Association.
“Our methods are not useful on the federal level in USA anymore,” says Mike Bonanno, a multimedia artist, a Guggenheim fellow and a key figure of the Yes Men. “There are no convincing despots. Now Europe is one of the only sane places left,” he explains, also mentioning the formidable living standards of the Swiss and direct democracy principles applicable to various areas of public service.
The nature of the Zürich intervention was far more complex than what came across from the much-publicised press conference. The three-day event culminating in Monday’s meeting with the media ran according to a detailed script of premeditated action and anticipated outcome.
The communications department of RUAG handled the situation by sending a communiqué. The spokesperson of RUAG Kirsten Hammerich stated later on Monday the company should not take further action related to the events of the day:
“Neither the invitation to the press conference, nor the related media releases came from RUAG, therefore, we cannot comment on them,” said Ms. Hammerich as quoted by the Swiss online magazine Persoenlich.com.
However uninventive the company’s response to the Yes Men-Neumarkt prank may seem, it was not without some merit. Czech communications expert Petros Michopulos, who worked in the field on both political and corporate levels for two decades before retiring into another area of business, was asked to come up with a recommendation before RUAG’s reaction was known:
“In situations like this, waiting out the storm is usually the best thing to do. But it is nearly impossible to convince the client to take this approach. The minute something substantial happens, the management of the company comes running, their advisors start creeping out of the shadows, followed by their wives and random passersby. Everyone knows exactly what to do. Crisis is an opportunity to prove one’s worth — and to send an invoice,” says Michopulos.
So what did he think about how RUAG handled the event?
“They are no bunglers,” he said.
One organisation, however, considers taking action against the Yes Men and Neumarkt: it is the Swiss press agency Keystone-SDA. According to the Swiss press, the representatives of SDA were “outraged by the deception”.
