About DSEi
DSEI THROUGH THE AGES
What is DSEi?
DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International) is the world’s largest arms fair. It allows arms buyers and sellers to network and make deals. It happens once every two years, in the second week in September, at ExCeL – the huge exhibition centre in London Docklands.
There is a wealth of information out there, mainly sourced by Campaign Against the Arms Trade and Disarm DSEi:
The buyers
The sellers
The organisers
Taxpayer support
FAQ
Can we actually stop the arms fair?
It may sound like a pretty big ask: shutting down a heavily policed, multi-million pound arms fair.
Still, it is possible. In 2008, the Asia-Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition was cancelled due to “the cost of security” and “the possible threats of violence” – apparently the irony of accusing the people peacefully protesting an arms fair of violence was lost on them. Read Campaign Against Arms Trade’s blog on the subject- “How to stop an arms fair”
Where is the ExCeL centre?
The ExCeL centre is hidden away in London’s docklands.
Tube: nearby stations include Royal Victoria, Custom House, and Prince Regent on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). On the Jubilee line and DLR, slightly further away, is Canning Town.
Car: Follow signs for Royal Docks, City Airport and ExCel (postcode E16 1DR).
If you’re from outside London: the TFL website explains how to get around London. If you want to share transport, or you have spaces to offer, then see our transport page.
For more transport information, see the ever-helpful ExCeL centre’s transport page. They also have a virtual venue visit, so you can have a bit of an idea what it looks like inside.
What happens inside?
We think DSEi’s own video will answer this question better than we ever could.
DISCLAIMER: This video may contain the glorification of war. Do not show to impressionable youths or government ministers.
How do the organisers see DSEi?
Clarion attempts to legitimise its involvement with the arms trade and the DSEi arms fair in particular.
It sounds best in their own words:
While we would all wish to see a world in which no nation has any need of equipment for defence or peacekeeping, it is not the world we live in now.
i.e. a substantial lack of structural analysis, or an awareness of how arms fairs are based around actively promoting arms sales.
I’d so like to sneak in and have a look round and i had (in my head) worked out a way to try and get there – then it occurs to me what with facial recognition software and stuff I’d be on all the general’s iphones by tea and keel hauled by sundown. They would probably use my testicles for ear defenders in one of the later tank demo’s
they have some awesome kit though( guns aside) -(I’m an engineer) imagine what we could do as a race if we put that know how to good use eh?, we’d be livin’ on the moon by now!
great site btw, well done on the heads up – such a watse, I’m with boy george on war…
love and peace
c
Arming the world’s wars – arming the world’s dictators – Monstrous and criminal government-approved activity..