Second Day Of Action: Shut Down DSEi!

IMC UK, 10.09.2003 11:02

The second day of protest against the Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi) is taking place today. Members of the public, who are angry at the items on sale, as well as at the countries invited (some of which are well-known human rights abusers) will make attempts to 'Shut DSEI by any means possible'.

Morning actions include Critical Mass starting at eight, followed by 'Meet the Arms Traders' outside customs house. Then two seperate meeting points are planned for the eleven O'Clock actions 'Blockade the Death fair' and 'Storm the Death fair'. In the afternoon a street party is planned at Rathbone Street Market at 4 O'Clock. Up-to-date reports on all these and other actions will be appearing here throughout the day. There have also been several reports from the mainstream corporate media on both the protests and the arms fair itself.

Timeline of Events Wednesday. 11th

13:50 - Prince Regent DLR station is closed. DLR security are not allowing anyone onto the platform.

13:43 - Police have retaken the roundabout opposite Royal Albert dlr station. Still no traffic moving through- police blocking roundabout

13.30 - Local School kids in the area are trying to get out of school - police are inside stopping them.

13:30 200 ppl pushed down Victoria Dock Rd away from Custom House. Police very aggressive, at least 4 arrests and the road is closed to traffic with barriers which have been turned over by demonstrators. samba band and another 50 ppl in pink are now cordoned in a v small space and no one is allowed out.

13.30 - Police have now formed a line trying to stop protesters . Two arrests have been confirmed, one of very violently punched to the floor. The crowd is chanting "police protect murderers".

13.20 - 100 - 200 people outside Prince regent DLR Station. people are pushing over barriers to get into the road and are clashing with police in semi-riot gear. One arrest so far.

13.18: Crowd still at under pass of Connaught roundabout - police arrrested an old woman who was doing a sit-down - drag her away.

13.15 - Still about 100 people at the Connaught underpass. Some arms traders passing the area have been confronted by protestors. As a result police has moved in pushing and kicking people back.
Police are aggesively pushing the crowd back away from Excel - and making a number of arrests.
The BBC reports 79 arrested so far in protests against the arms fair

13.05 - Samba and protestors blocking street in front of Excel carpark - delegates watching and bobbing to beat - lots of police vans arriving.

13.00 - Police is now moving onto the two activists that stopped the train at Blackwall DLR station. They're using cutters to unlock the activists. Connaught underpass is still blocked by a crowd of around 150. Pics.

12.45 - A DLR train has been stopped at Blackwall by two activists locked on top of it. As a result shuttle buses are now running between Blackwall and the ExCel centre.

12.30 - A group of around 150 people is now cordoned on the East side of the Royal Albert Road. Critical Mass joins other protestors Report

12.00 - Two men taken off the DLR at ExceL for trying to sell the arms dealers on the train a case full of arms - the arms in question consisted of various barbie arms and other doll parts including heads. Pics

11.55 - 60 people are blocking eastern underpass

11.45 - east gate underpass - on way for meet up point - 250 poeple pushed through line of riot police - now jogging towards east gate.

11.30 - Critical mass arriving at ExCeL centre. About a hundred cyclists surrounded by an equal amount of police on bicycles and motorbikes. 3 soundsystems on site(/a>). Mark Thomas is entertaining the crowd.
DLR has been blocked for one and a half hour now by two activists who locked themselves to a train. Both of them have now been arrested. Read the report.

11.25 - People from the Canning Town meeting poing are now heading down Silvertown Way towards Prince Regent DLR station.In Royal Victoria roundabout, police have prevented around 60 people from moving. The group is now cordoned by a large number of police, some of which are in riot gear.

11.20 - Storm DSEi - a car was parked diagonally where some activists attempted to lock themselves to the car. Police reacted quickly and prevented the lock on. However, the car was towed into the middle reservation, with a protestor apparently locked inside. A small group of people grabbed by police, told to move away from the area. An undetermined number of arrests were made.Pics

11:15 - 40 demonstrators at Canning Town station with Revolution banners are not being allowed out of station, and are being guarded by Police dressed in Black.
About 40 people at Prince Albert roundabout. 2 or 3 people were stopped and searched. we headed back towards Canning Town by the allotments, together with about a 10-15 strong samba band. Another 5 people stopped and searched. Then riot police detained the samba band for a few minutes, very near St. Annes church.

11.10 - Canning Town station, there were around 40 people in what was called 'Blockade the Death Fair' action. They were prevented from leaving the station for a short time by cops in black, semi riot gear and other police. They started walking from the station exit down Silvertown Road, and then went under the flyover down Victoria Dock road. They walked past Prince Regent DLR folowed by several police vans and on foot patrol men. Then continued up to Counnaught Road flyover, where, just underneath, they met protestors from this morning's 'Storm the Death Fair' action.

10.40 - Critical Mass at Westferry Circus.

10.30 - 8/9 people have been seen scuffling with police at the East entrance of ExCel- after what looks like an attemot to lock onto a car blockading road.

10:00 - A woman has D-Locked to a DLR (Docklands Light Railway) train filled with Arms Traders on the way to the fair. All power has been turned off and the DLR system is stationary, awaiting arrival of transport police.Pics. Report 2

9:30 - Reports of Samba Band and seventy people on the loose around Excel Centre and a vigil taking place outside Custom House.

9.00 - Critical Mass sets off from ouside the Bank of England. Short report.