DSEi Protests Continue - Thursday 15th September

features | 15.09.2005 23:58 | DSEi 2005 | Anti-militarism | London

Thursday evening saw noisy protests outside the DSEi arms fair luxury dinner at the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane in London. With hundreds of police deployed around the hotel, protestors gathered to 'unwelcome' the arms industry guests with banners and placards reading "Death Goes Shopping" and "Dinner of Death: Carnage Soup with Cluster Bomb Croutons". A critical mass bicycle protest left Eros statue to also join the demonstration outside the dinner. There was some aggressive police action as police sought to move protestors from the road and some violent arrests - at least 5 people were arrested. Despite a high level of stop and searches and police surveillance, one person there said "The arms dealers can't ignore this, they had to walk right through it - we've made it clear we oppose their dealing in death for profit."

Reports and Pictures 1 | 2 | 3 | Security breached at gala dinner
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More News and Comments: Banned stun guns and leg irons were advertised at DSEi arms fair | Why cops failed to prevent disruption to DSEi | Anarchists ‘passed off’ Advertiser, claims editor | Greatreporter.com article

Earlier in the day anti-arms fair protestors protested outside Reed Elsevier's offices in london, the DSEI organisers, while others staged a humorous action on the Docklands Light Railway - armed with numerous sex toys they embarassed the mostly male arms fair delegates over their liking of 'boys toys' and big rockets, as well as handing out anti-arms fair leaflets to other passengers [Photos and Report]

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Some people have nothing better to do!!

16.09.2005 08:28

Some of these so called protestors need to get a grip on reality and get a life!!!

Have they nothing better to do on a Thursday night?

Peter

But . . . .

16.09.2005 10:43

A poster above wrote,

"The arms dealers can't ignore this, they had to walk right through it - we've made it clear we oppose their dealing in death for profit."

I think we can assume arms dealers know we oppose them, the point is they don't care. We made no impact on them because they view us as powerless. These people make their living selling guns to some of the worst people in the world how do you think they view us ?

We need to deal with the causes of the world arms trade, banners, marches, protests will not work

Sue

Peter what do you do that's better

16.09.2005 12:40

So you have "better" things to do. And these might be what? Going to the pub? Watching telly? Playing football? Some of us have conciences you know. This means that we feel uncomfortable engaging in such frivolous activities when we know that our government subsidises and supports companies that devise ever more brutally efficient and profitable weapons to shatter and lacerate the bodies and limbs of men, women and especially children in far off countries. So which is more important? Sitting on your arse and allowing such companies to continue with this deadly business as usual or getting on the street and speaking your mind to those dealers in death?

not an armchair slob

Boogie-woogie on a Thursady nite

16.09.2005 14:21

>>>Some of these so called protestors need to get a grip on reality and get a life!!!>>Have they nothing better to do on a Thursday night?<<<

Hey, there's nothing better than to wiggle and sway yer hips to the hypnotic beats of the samba band on a Thursday evening.

Mr Compo StHeap

Oi Peter

17.09.2005 21:05

Put your tinfoil hat back on!

Jeremy Clarkson's Gearknob

Reply to Sue

17.09.2005 21:23

Hi sue,

I tend to agree with you, but I don't think hardly anyone involved in the campaigns against the arms fair thinks of demos like this as in isolation.

Tons of work has been done over the last year, or two years, which has not been about street protest. Holding events in the local area raising the profile of the campaigns has paid dividends - the local council back at the start of the summer passed a motion opposing the arms fair. This built on the protests two years ago and the prior one four years ago. Such campaigning does take time and ongoing committment.

It's the same with the mayor of newham and the mayor of london speaking out against the arms fair.

The declarations against Reed Elsevier, from the Lancet medical journal, which Reed own, did not just come out of nowhere, but was part of an ongoing engagement by anti-arms fair campaigners. During the protests over the last week or so, people have been out leafletting employees of Reed informing them about the companies involvement, after they bought Sprearhead, the company that was organising the arms fair. It's hard unglamorous campaign work, but it can pay dividends.

The list could go on. The campaigning certainly does, with a view to trying to stop 2007.

Pete

Promising start

18.09.2005 18:04

I went it started off promising. Closing of the roads was very effective, but shouting at these people achieve nothing, they've heard it all before. They sell arms for fucks sake, they will have thick skins. You need to get organised to achieve anything. Better luck next time.

Ian

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