The DSEI arms fair is back. And so is the resistance to it!
The DSEI arms fair is returning to the ExCeL centre next month. Arms companies will be descending on east London for this fair of death and destruction. They will be joined by military delegations from countries with shocking human rights records or those involved in conflict. This is where war starts but also where we can try and stop it.
The Stop the Arms Fair network have helped organise a range of action against the fair, covering both the fair’s set up week and the week of the fair itself – the protests will last from September 4th to 15th. Actions include a Palestine Solidarity Campaign Stop DSEI vigil on September 5th, a No Faith in War day on September 7th and a Migrant Justice day on September 12th. There are of course loads more actions taking place so check out the Stop the Arms Fair website for more details.
We visited arms companies that will be at DSEI!
We took twenty people on a walking tour around some of the arms companies that will be at DSEI as well as a couple of other organisations involved in the arms trade. In what could be at best described as variable weather!, we visited Boeing, Buckingham Palace (the Royals have a long history of complicity in and support for the arms trade), BAE Systems, Leonardo, UKTI-DSE (the government’s arms export promotion unit) and L3 Harris. London CAAT members talked about these organisation’s weapons or support for the arms trade and the impact their deadly trade has had globally. We also left blue plaques at each site to highlight an aspect connected to each place – you can see one of those above. It was a sobering but illuminating day and people went away with anger and fervour in their hearts to continue to oppose this deadly trade. We will be putting together a brochure of the talks so if you would like a copy, please email us at [email protected].