Overview

• The York Armed Forces Day event on July 5 proceeded with no military equipment on display, breaking from past celebrations.
• Organisers provided residents with a self-guided map and guidebook outlining a family-friendly trail of city military sites.
• The Queen’s Own Yeomanry withdrew its planned Jackal vehicle presentation in protest of the equipment ban.
• Council leader Claire Douglas said the change addressed residents’ concerns about protests without diminishing York’s respect for service personnel.
• Former Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer and Tory group leader Chris Steward criticised the ban as tokenistic and said it removed a core element of Armed Forces Day.