ACTIVISTS IN UK MOBILIZING AGAINST THE UPCOMING LONDON ARMS FAIR

Mon 06 September 2021:

Anti-war protestors began mobilizing on Monday against the international arms show set to take place in London from September 14 to 17, claiming that it is a meeting place for people who benefit from war, repression, and injustice.

Protesters have pitched up tents near the ExCel London Exhibition Center as part of their plan to maintain a 24-hour presence surrounding one of the world’s major arms fairs.

“We re going to oppose it as best we can, and hopefully more people will come and join us,” Martin, who said he was representing the local community, told local media.

He said that they wanted to reach to people from the community and “everyone as individuals” to oppose an event which had been held in its current venue since 2001.

A campaigner who identified herself by the name of Amber also told media that members of different movements such as the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign Against Arms Trade and Quaker Roots will march and protest under the Stop the Arms Fair banner.

“There is not a leading organization, but a coalition of different people,” she explained, adding that during the two-week protest they are planning to hold seminars and actions in solidarity with Afghanistan, Palestine and the refugees.

The Defence and Security Systems International (DSEI), as the event is formally named, is expected to attract over 1,700 arms businesses, including those offering surveillance equipment, drones, and all types of weapons.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is said to have asked exhibition organizers to cancel the arms expo because it would be an insult to many people who have escaped conflicts and faced the repercussions of weapons like those on display.

Khan made the request in a letter to DSEI head Grant Burgham, who responded that the fair only benefited genuine arms dealers, according to The Independent newspaper.

FILE PHOTO: CAAT activists protest against the annual DESI arms fair in London (Courtesy/CAAT)

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