DSEi Organisers Office Occupied

by: James Tullett

London: Activists have today (21 August) occupied the head office of Spearhead, the company organizing Europe’s largest arms fair, Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEi). Around 15 people arrived at the apex tower where spearhead are based at nine o’clock in the morning. Protestors hung a huge banner form the front of the building and then proceeded with a “die-in”. Three people managed to get inside the building where they handed out leaflets asking staff to conscientiously object to Spearheads role in organizing DSEi. Following this the protesters then barricaded themselves into an office. Meanwhile leaflets were handed out to passers by, about Spearheads involvement with the supermarket of death.
One of the protestors, Sally Mander said, “We believe Spearheads involvement in the promotion of armed conflict is a crime against peace. The arms trade fuels war and terrorism. We could feed the world 14 times over on the amount spent on weapons. This arms fair is a hideous market place of weapons of mass destruction and we are not prepared to stay at home and ignore the trade in death that’s going on right under our noses”.
The arms fair planned for the 9 till the 12 September has attracted much attention. This is due to its previous unlawful and inhuman dealings. DSEi’s history includes firms attempting to sell landmines banned under international law to undercover journalists and supplying repressive regimes such as Indonesia, Israel, Algeria and Turkey amongst others with arms. The opposition to the arms fair is building towards a crescendo and protests such as this have a prophetic air to them.

Source: people and planet