Is there any 'non civil disobedience' actions planned against DSEi, which we can mobilise for?

I know quite a few people that want to protest against DSEi, but are not prepared for a civil disobedience action.

Thanks

Hia,

There will undoubtedly be non-disobedient or lesser-disobedient actions/protests planned, mostly by the larger anti-arms trade groups such as CND and CAAT, and also by various religious groups, so try their websites etc.

However, MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, why dont you guys plan your own protest etc? Any alternatives to the current destructive political economic systems (including war) can only come from the bottom up. What this means is self-organisation and non-heirarchy, i.e. not following leaders blindly but being empowered as people to lead our own lives. Life (sometimes annoyingly...) seldom leaves room for spectators, only participants. But we arent used to doing things for ourselves and we need to learn how to do it better, so opportunities to work with other people and do things ourselves are SOOOO important to take up. So instead of waiting to turn up to an 'event' organised by someone else, why not get together, get creative and plan something yourselves? Its great fun I promise!

(Theres even helpful advice on the net at  http://www.uhc.org.uk/knowledge/toolbox/toolbox.htm)

See you in September,

Love n Rage.

P.S. Good luck with whatever protest you create or join, but I cant resist encouraging more direct-action and civil disobedience though. If the armsfair goes ahead, people will die as a direct result - I cant imagine any reason important enough to stop us trying our best to shut it down. But good luck whatever you do! :)

Why not get the TUC involved there are thousands of trade unionists who would be against this arms fair. How about contacting the Transport and General Workers Union whose members will be manning trains bringing delegates to this arms fair.

Someone recently suggested petitioning Red Ken to stop the fair taking place in London. At any rate it may be a little embarressing if someone were to read his trafalgar square speech out at the protest. The irony in the statements bracketted *** is obvious:
______________

Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London; Labour): ***This was a cowardly attack, which has resulted in injury and loss of life. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been injured, or lost loved ones.*** I want to thank the emergency services for the way they have responded.

Following the al-Qaeda attacks on September 11 in America we conducted a series of exercises in London in order to be prepared for just such an attack. One of the exercises undertaken by the government, my office and the emergency and security services was based on the possibility of multiple explosions on the transport system during the Friday rush hour. The plan that came out of that exercise is being executed today, with remarkable efficiency and courage, and I praise those staff who are involved.

I’d like to thank Londoners for the calm way in which they have responded to this cowardly attack and echo the advice of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair - do everything possible to assist the police and take the advice of the police about getting home today.

I have no doubt whatsoever that this is a terrorist attack. We did hope in the first few minutes after hearing about the events on the Underground that it might simply be a maintenance tragedy. That was not the case. I have been able to stay in touch through the very excellent communications that were established for the eventuality that I might be out of the city at the time of a terrorist attack and they have worked with remarkable effectiveness. I will be in continual contact until I am back in London.

I want to say one thing specifically to the world today. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers. It was aimed at ordinary, working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

***That isn’t an ideology, it isn’t even a perverted faith - it is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is.*** They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other. I said yesterday to the International Olympic Committee, that the city of London is the greatest in the world, because everybody lives side by side in harmony. Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I’m proud to be the mayor of that city.

***Finally, I wish to speak directly to those who came to London today to take life.

I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.***

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don’t want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

There will be a DSEi Action Planning Meeting on 1st August, 7pm, LARC, Fieldgate St, Whitechapel. This meeting will specifically be about organising mass action during the week of DSEi.

Why not invite Ken Livingstone to the disarm Desi meeting and ask him to use the Greater London Authority meetings to help organise the protest. Ken Livingstone has already said that he is dead against the arms fair so now is the time to push him to do something about it. He should be bringing up the topic of the arms fair at Greater London Authority meetings and getting other councillors to back the protest. This could be the biggest mass protest since Live8