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A POLICE convoy whisked Prince Harry past ex-soldiers waving placards as he arrived at a high-profile veterans’ mental health conference.
Former soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) said today that they were being sidelined by event organisers who did not invite them to speak about their ordeals.
Prince Harry whizzed past ex-soldiers protesting as he enters the Veterans Mental Health conference today. I'm covering Gus Hales' alternative conference outside for @M_Star_Online. Tobias Ellwood will speak inside shortly pic.twitter.com/4n51Av9Ju3
— Phil Miller (@pmillerinfo) March 14, 2019
Veterans’ Minister Tobias Ellwood MP also breezed past the demonstrators as he hurried inside the King’s Centre for Mental Health Research to deliver the opening speech.
His address was followed by an academic who used to be the head of mental health research in the Israeli military’s medical corps.
The event was organised in partnership with Combat Stress, the bungling PTSD charity under fire from veterans for failing to treat them properly.
Tickets to the one-day summit cost an eye-watering £99, which protester Gus Hales told the Morning Star was prohibitive for most veterans.
“Inside many experts are deciding what is best for us,” he said.
“Meanwhile we are out here and no-one has asked us.
“Veterans are already disempowered and this is an example where they do so even more.
“The reality is the pampered conference delegates are in there speaking and we still have 7,000 homeless veterans, according to the British Legion, and a continuing suicide rate that looks as though it will surpass last year’s grisly toll.
“So we veterans need to say enough is enough and take back control of our own welfare.”
At least 71 veterans and military personnel took their own lives last year, according to research by ITV News.
The King’s Centre was approached for comment.