Stop The Arms Fair

Smash EDO: start of the Summer of Resistance

Seta — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:40:40 +0000

A summer of antics and opposition to Brighton's peddlars of death

The Summer of Resistance is getting closer and now is the time to get involved.

A special request: if you have any unused instrument of any kind that you would be willing to donate to the campaign for the ‘bad music’ noise demo (see below), please get in touch via email -or just show up on the day to play it!

We are also looking for artistic types who might want to come and do some prop making. There will be an open prop making session on Friday
the 13th at 1pm at the Cowley Club, Brighton.

Public, pre-advertised Summer of Resistance events

Come along to these even if you are not planning your own action.

1 May: Demo to mark the start of the Summer of Resistance, 12pm outside EDO/ITT, Home Farm Road, Brighton. Although the summer is not about one particular event being successful, but about continious pressure on the factory, it would be great to see a lot of you up at the factory on mayday to show them what’s coming! Bring noise.

2 May: ‘Bad Music’ noise demo outside EDO/ITT, 4-6pm. Come and play your instruments as badly as you can.

3 May: Phone blockade of EDO and twitter blockade of EDO’s parent company @ITTExelis . You can let them know what you think of their business from wherever you are.

6 May, from 1pm: Picnic in the Park with music. Come along to socialise and scheme. Details TBA.

9 May: ‘Bikes not Bombs’ Critical Mass bike ride. Meet at the Level, 3pm

12 May: Target Barclays. Picket of Barclays in North Street, Brighton. Barclays are the market maker for ITT Exelis on the NYSE and a big investor in the arms trade. They also have significant investments in Israeli companies. If you are not in Brighton, feel free to have a target Barclays event wherever you are. Do let us know if you want us to publicise it on our lists.

23 May: ‘Bring the voice of war to EDO’ noise demo, 4-6 outside EDO.

30 May: ‘Don’t attack Iran’ noise demo, 4-6 outside EDO. Warm-up for the big demo in town the following week.

4 June: ‘No to an attack on Iran, No to the Arms Trade’. Mass demo in Brighton. Meet 12 noon outside Barclays on North Street.

For more info, see the Smash EDO website

Operation: Give Us A Break, Clarion!

annemarie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:42:39 +0000

Queer Action against Clarion, organisers of DSEi, the world’s largest arms fair.

Venue: Destinations Holiday and Travel Show, hosted by Clarion Events.
Time: Sunday 5 February, from 1130am
Place: Outside Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Rd, London sw5 9ta

Dress: Holiday!

What will happen?

Assemble from 1130am outside Earl’s Court Station, Exhibition Centre entrance on Warwick Road for a pre-action briefing,

Action starts from 12 mid-day, to run until 2pm finish. We will be providing visitors with a musical accompaniment to their visit, and a helpful safety briefing airline-style in case they encounter the products of the arms trade.

Debrief, veggie lunch at nearby venue from 2pm-2.30ish

More info.

Disarm the Gallery!

annemarie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:36:46 +0000

The National Gallery is one of our most iconic public institutions. It is also supporting the arms trade.

In 2011 the National Gallery hosted an evening reception for weapons dealers, celebrating the first day of business at DSEi, the world’s largest arms fair.

Arms company Finmeccanica buys the opportunity to use the Gallery’s rooms for its ‘corporate entertaining’ – that is, for impressing its clients and lobbying decision-makers – for only £30,000 a year. By entering into this arrangement the Gallery is giving both practical support and a veneer of legitimacy to an industry based on death and destruction.

The Stop the Arms Fair coalition has started the Disarm the Gallery campaign – see our page hosted on the CAAT website for more info.

Action against the arms fair in 2011

annemarie — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:17:07 +0000

Protesters made sure the arms dealers didn't feel welcome at their drinks reception in the evening. Credit: Phillip Wood

Arming repressive regimes. Boosting arms company profits. Displaying the latest killing technology. The world’s biggest arms fair – DSEi – took place in East London in September 2011.

In 2011, we witnessed more of the horror that comes when the UK arms repressive regimes — armoured vehicles used to suppress protest in Libya and Bahrain were sold by the UK, along with crowd control equipment and tear gas.

Stop The Arms Fair coalition called an amazing day of action on 13th September. Following a kayak blockade of a warship at DSEi on the Saturday, the day of action included rolling die-ins and blockades of the arms fair gates, a colourful protest and lobby at parliament, a huge die-in outside BAE Systems, and protesting the arms dealers as they were wined and dined at the National Gallery. For photos and reports see:

Press coverage of the arms fair
Grassroots coverage of the day of action
a timeline of the day along with photos (Indymedia)
Demotix article and photos for the National Gallery demonstration.

Loads of creative action took place against the arms fair in September 2011. To get a flavour, have a look at the list of what was advertised in advance…

Stop the Arms Fair are hosting a special session at the Pogo Cafe in Hackney with everything you need to know about DSEi. Join us from 6pm for vegan pizza and resistance! [More info on the facebook event]

Green and Black Cross will give you comprehensive legal observer training from experienced legal observers before you hit the streets. Runs across two evenings (7-9pm) at the London Action Resouce Centre [More info]

8pm, Conway Hall, Holborn, London. Come along to find out more in the week before the arms fair at the London Region CND Meeting.

The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry is organising a seminar afternoon called “MIDDLE EAST: A VAST MARKET FOR UK DEFENCE AND SECURITY COMPANIES”. CAAT suggest: “don your finest pinstripes and join us outside the Royal Bank of Scotland, 250 Bishopsgate, at 3pm on Thursday 8th September for an action to say This is NOT OK.” [More info][Event page]

More supporters (musical and non-musical) needed. Outside the Western entrance to Excel Exhibition Centre. From Custom House Docklands Light Railway Station, just follow the signs to the ExCeL Centre. [More info]

1pm. Meeting at The Bandstand, Castle Park, Bristol, BS1. Rolling Picket of Investors in Arms. [More info]

Meet 10am at Space Hijacker HQ. We leave for the action at 12 midday (Don’t be late) [More info]

To protest DSEi, Tower Hamlets Jenin Friendship Association will have a banner making workshop on Sunday 11th September at 2pm at Mile End Park in preparation for the protest. We will meet outside the Palm Tree pub, off the canal and Haverfield Road and will move on to the park proper to make our banner. [More info]

Legal Defence Monitoring Group and Green and Black Cross will give you comprehensive legal observer training from experienced legal observers before you hit the streets. [More info]

This year’s Christian Network Day of Prayer will take place on the eve of DSEi, one of the world’s largest arms fairs, and on a poignant date ten years from the attacks on the twin towers: Sunday 11 September 2011. Many will already be reflecting on the legacy of that day: two illegal wars, increased inter-community tension, and an increasingly militarised approach to security. Please put the date in your diary, and download materials to encourage reflection in your Christian community. [More info]

Information about the day of action, keeping updated, accommodation, legal bits and pieces, and more! 2pm til 9:30pm. [More info]

This is a silent vigil open to people of all faiths and none. [More info]

UK Action Medics and Green and Black Cross Medics are a network of activists who have medical skills, from first aid to qualified doctors. We provide first aid at demos and actions, but also offer training.
This first aid workshop aims to teach you some basic first aid skills specific to protest situations so you can keep yourself and your buddies safe. You don’t need to bring anything with you to this workshop but enthusiasm! The training will be held at Ratstar, 298 Camberwell Road, London. For further info please email spiky@hush.com or check out the green and black cross medics facebook page.

7pm-8pm, Queens Foundation, on the corner of Somerset Road and Farquhar Road, B15 2QH in Edgbaston. The main entrance is off Somerset Road. This is timed to coincide with a similar vigil taking place outside the ExCel Conference and Exhibition Centre in East London which will host the Defence and Security International Arms Fair which will commence the following day. Contact Professor John Hull for more information.

7.30pm-8.30pm, St Lukes Church, Bold St, Liverpool City Centre. Organised by Justice & Peace and Pax Christi.

13th September was the Day of Action against the arms fair:

All day- A call for action on the DLR
The main access route is the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which many of the 25,000 delegates use on the days of the fair. The DLR is one of the only places where us members of the public are visible to the arms dealers at DSEi. A loud conversation with a friend or a chat with a friendly arms dealer; putting the arms trade on trial or hosting a comedy gig in the carriage – the possibilities for creative action are endless. There have been calls for staggered actions on the DLR. [More info]
Meeting Point: Bank Junction, EC2 , 8.30am riding to the ExCeL Centre. Bring noise, colour and contempt. [More info]

Activists will be at Custom House DLR station and on the trains from 10am. Last DSEi we visited the banks, the backers of the arms trade. Offices were invaded and windows smashed. This year we are returning to the belly of the beast and confronting the arms dealers directly. In previous years people have locked on to trains, climbed on their roofs, pulled emergency alarms, occupied stations and generally caused disruption and chaos.Tell the dealers what you think of their deadly wares and show their journey to DSEi will not be an easy ride. It’s time to stop the arms dealers in their tracks and make DSEi 2011 a year to remember. (You may want to bring a scarf, gloves and a change of clothes in this unpredictable climate). DSEi, Defence Systems Equipment International, the world’s largest arms fair, takes place every two years at the ExCeL centre in London’s docklands. Over 1200 arms companies will be hawking their deadly wares to 25,000 buyers from around the world, including delegates from some of the world’s most repressive regimes. This year, for the first time, the UK government will be inviting paramilitaries and border security forces. For more information on DSEi and the many reasons why we have to shut it down see www.dsei.org Follow @disarmdsei for updates, #stopdsei

Meeting Point: Old Palace Yard, Houses of Parliament from 10.45, ready to join the CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade) action from 11.00am. LGBTQ action “Operation Hello Sailor” is calling for sailors from any era… but plastic cutlasses only (“you could put someone’s eye out with that!”). [More info]
2011 is the first time that parliament is in session during DSEi. We want to use this opportunity for as many people as possible to challenge MPs on the reality of the government-supported arms trade – all at the same time. [More info]
Clarion organize and run the DSEi arms fair, among others- this is DSEi’s central command! The arms fair goes on behind closed doors – so we will bring it out into the open! Food Not Bombs will set up a (flat-packable) cardboard model of the arms fair, complete with cardboard stalls, cardboard guns and cardboard bombs, outside Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre. “Top Drawer”, a retail event also run by Clarion, will be going on in the Exhibition Centre that day – we’ll tip off their customers about Clarion’s involvement in the arms trade.
1pm - Bubbles not Bombs
Child-friendly action at Millennium Bridge [More info]
This year, the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi) will showcase a large exhibition of Unmanned Systems, or ‘drones’ – the robotic military planes that are used in targeted killings and are killing civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen. The indiscriminate nature of drone attacks is breeding anger and resentment amongst ordinary people in those countries. Perhaps most crucially, the fact that drones enable bombing raids to happen without danger to the pilots’ lives, is driving a new, robotic arms race founded on the misguided belief that a new super-weapon will resolve conflict in human relationships. [More info]
CAAT supporters can gather to head towards the arms fair to take creative, non-violent direct action together. Let us know if you would consider taking part. [More info]
Whether you’re stuck in the office all day, or busy at one of the many planned actions earlier in the day, come along at 5pm to hear reports from other actions and to target the UK’s largest arms company. [More info]

On Wednesday morning, we have organised a debrief space for people to use for whatever they see fit, which will probably be sit and have a chat about the day of action. [More info]

11am start, UEL to ExCeL. The march will take approx 45 minutes, the protest will last until the ‘show ends’ at 5pm, so 6 to hound the big cats buying guns and boom boxes. Meeting and banner making Thursday 8th September UEL Docklands/Sunday 11th Mile End. [More info]

A march for peace and freedom will take place on Wednesday 14th September, from Westminster to the ExCel Centre in east London, where DSEi (Defence and Security Equipment International), the world’s biggest arms fair will be in progress.[More info]

Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London, SW5 9TA. Clarion are the owners of the DSEi arms fair and must be pressurized into selling it. As members of the Defence Manufacturers Association and owners of other arms fairs, they see clearly see nothing wrong with such destructive events. Come help them see the error of their ways.

People wishing to distribute leaflets to arms dealers and their employees are invited to attend an ELAAF meeting (11/08.11 or 8/09/11) beforehand for briefing and information or email chrisroper@hotmail.com . We hope to leaflet one at a time throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Please say which day and time you could do. This action needs people prepared to risk arrest but not provoke it. [More info]

We’re cycling to ExCel again for the arms dealers reception dinner. Meet Bank Junction, EC2 at 3.30pm. [More info]

15 Sept- Arms Dealers Dinner

After a hard week’s work buying and selling at the world’s largest weapons fair, the arms dealers like to get together for a bit of a banquet. Don’t let them eat in peace! Following up on the successful National Gallery dinner demo, join us at the official DSEi dinner at Excel to remind them again they are not wanted- in impoverished Newham or anywhere else. Meet Tidal Basin 4.30pm Thursday (Royal Victoria DLR) or join the Critical Mass at Bank Junction 3.30pm.

Last day of 2011 Arms Fair. You are invited to come with supporters of EAST LONDON AGAINST ARMS FAIRS to float a wreath for victims of the arms trade on the Royal Victoria Dock. Because of the road works on the Victoria Dock Road the time and meeting place to start the walk has been changed to Tidal Basin Road, near Royal Victoria DLR Station 2.30 pm. You may like to wear black or white, or a black arm band as a sign of mourning. [More info]

Click here to download a PDF of all the public actions (if you print it off on A3 paper it folds into an events booklet).

A radio appearance, and forward…

kat — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:26:25 +0000

The coverage didn’t stop after the week of action. Check out this Dissident Island radio episode (at about 18:50 in) to hear a London CAAT member discussing DSEi.

Preparations to stop the next DSEi are already under way, as there’s no rest for the wicked.

If you’ve got some free time and you’re London-based, do pop down to the Occupy London camp that is following in the trend of Occupy Wall Street, which in turn was inspired by the British university occupations of last year. What goes around…

Grassroots coverage of the day of action

Seta — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:22:04 +0000

See Indymedia’s post Disrupting DSEi – Monday to Wednesday for a run-down of the actions at the start of DSEi, including a timeline of the day of action.

Below we’ve brought together a stream of posts from Twitter from the day of action, starting at 7am.

Press coverage of the arms fair

annemarie — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:36:22 +0000

11 Sep

Campaigners have condemned plans by BAE Systems to showcase a new “autonomous” unmanned drone at this week’s London arms fair, citing evidence that the existing Reaper models have killed civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. [Link]

One of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 destroyers was met with protests as she docked in London today. [Link]

12 Sep

A host of authoritarian regimes will be entertained in London today at one of the world’s largest arms fairs, despite concerns over how readily unpopular dictatorships turned to live ammunition to suppress popular revolutions during this year’s Arab Spring. [Link]

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have both been invited to the UK’s largest arms fair this week, in spite of the two countries’ roles in suppressing pro-democracy movements earlier this year. [Link]

Opponents of the weapons trade are to protest on Tuesday as one of the world’s biggest arms fairs opens in London’s Docklands. [Link]

13 Sep: day of action

Peace activists hung a 12 metre ‘Destroy DSEi’ banner close to the ExCeL Centre at dawn this morning just hours before it opened its doors to the controversial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi) arms fair. [Link]

The London arms fair has opened to a storm of controversy, with protests outside Parliament, the offices of arms companies and at the gates to the event itself. The National Gallery also faced protests after it hosted an evening reception for visitors to the arms fair. [Link]

Death and the salesman, Guardian

Forty-six countries arrive to show off latest weapons as Bahrain attends ExCel despite protesters’ deaths [Link]

Defence Secretary Liam Fox gives strong support to the defence
industry at the opening of the UK’s DSEi arms fair, which includes
delegates from Bahrain. [Link]

Defence Secretary Liam Fox is expected to give strong backing to the country’s arms manufacturers in a speech later. [Link]

Activists angry about the presence of delegates from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia — both accused of using U.K.-exported arms to suppress demonstrations — protested outside Parliament in central London and plan to march on the conference center Wednesday. [Link]

Concerns from arms trade protestors about invitations to controversial delegations from countries including Bahrain at this week’s DSEi arms fair in London have been met with a government response that strict export rules will be followed. [Link]

14 Sep

Amnesty International has obtained brochures from the Defense and Security International fair (DSEi) currently taking place in London’s Docklands, which appear to clearly show illegal torture equipment advertised. [Link]

15 Sep

The London’s arms fair has the ultimate boys’ toys: some gold-plated, some lethal and all of them unsavoury [Link]

24 hours in pictures, Guardian

A large crowd of anti-arms trade activists gathered outside the Carlton Gardens HQ of BAE Systems and performed a mass die-in to a soundtrack of bombs falling, explosions, machine-gun fire and screaming

There was a moment on Tuesday during the series of actions against the UK’s biennial Defence and Security Systems International (DSEi) exhibition, taking place from 13-16 September, that was so absurd it could have come straight out of a Monty Python sketch. [Link]

16 Sep

Violation of Oslo accord discovered by MP who calls for action to investigate ‘what other breaches are occurring’ at the fair [Link]

18 Sep

Organisers of Defence and Security International fair shut down stall after action from Amnesty International [Link]

====

Hostile article in the Telegraph:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/concoughlin/100104658/the-government-ignores-britains-defence-industry-at-its-peril/

If you know of any other major news coverage, let us know by commenting on this page!

Bubbles not Bombs – action on Tuesday

annemarie — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:57:07 +0000

Tuesday, September 13 · 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Millennium Bridge, London (Tate Modern side)

On 13th September London is hosting the worlds largest Arms Fair, sponsored by the UK government, where bad people the world over can come and buy the latest in guns, drones, warships etc.
We plan on being there too, with an exciting bit of ‘bubble mobbing’ action planned for the day.
We’ll be bubbling from the Millennium Bridge at 1pm, and then possibly move to the Excel Centre to bubble mob the arms dealers at 3.30pm.
If you would like to come and take part (the more, the bubblier or even just show your support by buying one of our ‘Bubbles Not Bombs’ t-shirts, please do get in touch

Bubbles Not Bombs,
Dr Zigs and the gang

Bubbles not Bombs Facebook page

Bubbles not Bombs Facebook event

Warships blockaded on Saturday!

annemarie — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:55:52 +0000

Protesters confront battleships en route to world’s largest arms fair

Today (Saturday 10th Sept), warships en route to the world’s largest arms fair were disrupted by protesters
angry at a trade that inflicts untold misery and death across the planet. Protesters manoeuvred kayaks in front of the ships to prevent them gaining access to Royal Victoria Dock.

At a time of austerity and government cuts, East London will be hosting Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEi) from 13th – 16th September, with much of the cost borne by the taxpayer.

Every 2 years the ExCeL centre in London’s dockyards welcomes dictators, arms dealers
and suspected war criminals in an attempt to persuade them to buy British weaponry. Many of the weapons used by dictators to kill demonstrators during the Arab spring were procured from DSEi exhibitors.

This year DSEi falls on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. It is worth remembering that (according to the British Medical Journal) nearly 400,000 people die every year from armed conflict.

A spokesperson for Disarm DSEi stated “The same politicians that shed crocodile tears
for the 9/11 victims are fuelling the fires of war and armed conflict around the world. It is up to ordinary people to intervene to stop the obscene traffic in arms. DSEi, the world’s largest arms fair, must be stopped.”

This is just one action in a concerted campaign. Protesters have vowed to disrupt DSEi throughout the week, including a day of action on the 13th to blockade the DLR and prevent delegates attending the event.

For further information and pictures contact – 07592 769 907 or 07415 810 637

Notes for Editors:
Several warships will form part of this year’s DSEi – hosting receptions and showcasing military technology, including HMS Dauntless, the pride of the British Navy.

Over 1200 arms companies will be selling their wares to 25,000 buyers from around
the world, including military delegations from some of the world’s most repressive, human rights abusing regimes.

DSEi is held in Newham, one of London’s most impoverished boroughs. Whilst the government has subsidised DSEi by £320,000 and paid up to £4million for policing, Newham council are being forced to cut £116 million from their budget over the next four years.

For years leading up to the “Arab Spring”, arms companies have exported equipment
to the regimes which are now being condemned by governments rapidly backtracking on their support. A report issued in April this year confirmed that since 2009 the UK have exported components for military helicopters to Algeria, sub-machine guns and tear gas to Bahrain, machine guns to Egypt and hand grenades to Jordan. British
defence contractors have also sold small arms ammunition to Syria, hand grenades, sniper rifles and tear gas to Saudi Arabia and shotguns to Morocco.

DISARM DSEi
Stop the world’s largest arms fair!
www.dsei.org

There’s Big Profits in the Killing Biz (video)

Seta — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:39:12 +0000

Bexley, Lewisham and Dartford’s Food not Bombs group has made a parody video as part of their action against DSEi, to the tune of Pulp’s Sorted out for Es and Whiz.

The lyrics are:

Oh is this the way that arms dealers are meant to deal?
Or just some fat cats making a killing on the battlefield?
And I don’t quite understand just what the death-count is,
But it’s ok ‘cause there’s big profits in the killing biz
And tell me when the troops they land
‘Cause intervention’s gotta count for something. -i-i-ing.

When the guns and bombs are priced, well the price is right, but then tomorrow morning,
Oo-oo-oo-ooh, ooh, the troops come down
Oh yeah dictators are an awful bunch of evil clowns
Got their weapons from some spruced up joint in London town
And no one seems to know quite what a scruple is.
But it’s ok ‘cause there’s big profits in the killing biz
In comp’ny boardrooms repression seems so very, very, very far away
Alright.

When the guns and bombs are priced, well the price is right, but then tomorrow morning,
Oo-oo-oo-ooh, ooh, the batons come down. Just keep on selling…
Everybody’s passed the blame
Ask registered address and name and then “nice one” “geezer”
But that’s as far as the conversation went.
I made new friends, they’re on the phone, it’s kicking off – they want some drones.
There’s no “no way”, “not today”, what the war on terror meant.
And this hollow feeling grows and grows and grows and grows
And you want to call your mother and say
“Mother, I can never come home again
’cause I seem to have left an important part of my ethics somewhere
Somewhere in a conference room in London”.
Alright.

When the guns and bombs are priced, well the price is right, but then tomorrow morning,
Oo-oo-oo-ooh, ooh, the bombs come down.
What if they always come down?