Reed Elsevier who specialise in publishing and exhibitions amoungst other activities recently took over Spearhead, the company organising DSEi (Defence Systems Equipment International).
DSEi (or Dicey as it is commonly known by activists) is Europes largest arms fair and takes place every two years in london (visit www.dsei.org to find out more). In september 2003 investigators found illegal land mines being sold under the counter and buyers from some of the worlds most repressive regimes touring the event.

A group of over 20 activists complete with banner, leaflets and samba band visited the Reed Office in Oxford which is called part of the publishing section of the business and specialises in educational publishing under the name of Harcourt Education.
Several activisists were able to enter the building and one made an impromptu speech to employees in their canteen while others distributed leaflets. The remaining acitivists who by then had been denied access to the building played samba outside and handed out leaflets to employees entering the building.

The response from staff members was positive and most seemed guinuinely shocked to find out what their parent company was upto. The leaflets encouraged staff to lobby their bosses to stop backing DSEi and to pass on any inside information they had about the event.