[Imc-uk-features] feature proposal: DSEi

[Jeff Parks]

Title: DSEi - arms fair ends in violence

Author: imc-uk-features

Image: /images/2007/08/379890.jpg

Abstract:
<p>This week the world's largest arms fair returns to the ExCel Centre
in East London on 11th-14th September. Defence Systems & Equipment
International (DSEi) takes place every two years and in the past
exhibitors have included companies selling cluster bombs and torture
equipment. The future of DSEi is uncertain with the <a
href="/en/2007/07/376979.html">impendind closure</a> of the Defence
Export Services Organisation (DESO) , a government department whose
sole purpose is to supports arms sales, and the <a
href="/en/2007/06/374153.html">announcement</a> by Reed-Elsevier that
they intend to sell their arms fair business after sustained
campaigning by many groups including magazines Reed publishes, most
prominently The Lancet, which maintained that supporting arms fairs
was not compatible with medical ethics.

Some affinity group actions have already taken place with <a
href="/en/2007/09/380312.html">Army recruitment adverts</a> repurposed
in Oxford, and a lock-on and weapons inspection at <a
href="/en/2007/09/380517.html">MSI in Norwich</a> by Norfolk Campaign
Against the Arms Trade.

On the eve of DSEi Jane's publishers are hosting a Defence Conference
at a Mayfair hotel, which will be <a
href="/en/2007/09/380231.html">picketed</a> by anti-arms protesters.
For the first day of DSEi itself the Disarm DSEi campaign has called
protesters to <a href="/en/2007/09/380410.html">invade ExCel</a>, and
the Spacehijackers have announced that they will be <a
href="/en/2007/09/380477.html">auctioning a tank</a> to protesters to
level the odds. There will also be a Critical Mass <a
href="/en/2007/09/380700.html">ride</a> to the arms fair.

For further information, see <a
href="http://www.dsei.org/index.php">Disarm DSEi</a> and Indymedia's
DSEi <a href="/en/actions/2007/dsei/">topic page</a></p>
<p>
<strong>Past coverage:</strong> <a
href="/en/actions/2001/fiestaforlife/">2001</a> | <a
href="/en/actions/2003/dsei/">2003</a> | <a
href="/en/actions/2005/dsei/">2005</a>
<strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://disarmdsei.evey.org">Nottingham Disarm
DSEi</a> | <a href="http://www.spacehijackers.org">Space Hijackers</a> | <a
href="http://www.caat.org.uk">CAAT</a> | <a
href="http://wordpress.com/tag/london-caat">London CAAT</a></p>