DSEi Blockade Photos

Paul | 02.09.2003 11:28 | DSEi 2003 | London | Oxford

Yesterday, 1st September, contractors and exibitors started to arrive at the largest arms fair in the world. Peace campaigners were waiting for them.

Tripods blocked one access to DSEI

Campaigners in arm tubes blocked the other access

Police admire a placard

Spirits were high and giggling common

The second tripod

September 11th attack on the twin towers happened during the 2001 arms fair but the selling of weapons continued uninterrupted. No minutes of silence just profit from the fuelling of conflict, war, oppression and human rights abuses. A third of the population dies in East Timor with the help of out weapons. At this very moment people are being killed and oppressed in Aceh, Indonesia with our weapons. Without this arms fair, where countries shop for weapons they will use against each other, the ability to destroy bodies and lives would be reduced.

Peace campaigners believe that they can disrupt the arms fair and increase the cost of running it and therefore stop it in future years.

It can be stopped if enough people are aware of what is happening and the fact that our taxes are supporting this abhorrent business.

Paul

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

positive tripods.

02.09.2003 16:06

According to H.G.Wells, the tripods from Mars were an invasion. However how about
turning this around. The tripods from SRAM (Social Revolution Against Militarism)
are there to prevent any further arms sales and thus future invasions anywhere
on OUR planet.
Does this appeal as an idea (banners etc )???......

Anyway, Well done to all. Peace & Solidarity.

Greenlantern

cool

02.09.2003 16:10

wahey! rude. peace out y'all :)

pete

What the hell?

03.09.2003 09:24

You really do have no idea. Do you honestly think that by stopping this exhibition, people will stop killing each other? IT WON'T STOP HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. If they can't buy weapons, they will make their own. Or use bloody big sticks. If you want to stop human rights abuses, do something positive- go to these places. Conflicts like these will not be resolved peacefully. The people being abused need help now. Not in five or ten years. The only way to stop yourself getting killed is to kill the other guy first. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Jack Steed

Illogical rubbish from Jack Steed

03.09.2003 11:53

Cluster bombs, depleted uranium and other modern weapons are a little more effective in killing and maiming than 'bloody big sticks'!

This action was positive and disrupted the arms fair as well as raising public awareness.

He says,'the only way to stop yourself being killed is to kill the other person first'. Unfortunately lots of other half wits believe this simplistic, illogical crap which contributes to lots of death and suffering and profits to arms sellers.

Sorry no time to answer your other 'points' as preparing to go to Afghanistan

Paul

Wish I were there

03.09.2003 20:00

Absolutely fantastic. Wish I was there. That's all.

Suzie
mail e-mail: suzanne_dow_fr@yahoo.fr

Wicked!

03.09.2003 20:42

brilliant action! again of course I wish I could have been there....

I've got plenty of floor space if anyone wants to trek over here for the Republican convention in the summer. We'd welcome the tripods. :-)

Much love to you all.

Erin

Why IndyMedia Sucks

04.09.2003 00:37

The reason I find IndyMedia sucks, is because its so good at reporting demonstrations, I want to get to them, but seeing as they're often in London 200 miles away, I'm stuck! The only way in which IndyMedia sucks is that I end up wishing I was there. Thats getting very painful. Keep up the reporting and I might end up wasteing money on a train ticket!
Graham
(Apologies, the accusation is meant tongue in cheek)

Rebel W

DIY kulcha

04.09.2003 10:06

in reply to the guy who gets annoyed that stuff keeps being in london - maybe you can think about doing stuff in yer own area? all the people involved in the action were just normal people who felt similar about the issue and wanted to do something about it. there's no reason why you can't get together with your mates and the ppl in yer community who feel the same, and use direct action to deal with the issues that you feel strongly about. it's easy and empowering and fun!

ciderpunx

To Rebel w

04.09.2003 10:38

Hey come on, 200 miles is REALLY not so far. What's wrong with hitching, or jumping the train (hide in the loos, or tell the conductor that you've been robbed and wanna pay later then give a false name and address), or get the bus (much cheaper than the train), get a lift with friends who also wanna go, tell the dole that you're applying for a job in that area and they should pay for the train fair (this really works!!!). If you really wanna be there you can. Come on... it doesn't really start 'till Saturday. Will we see you there?

dfg

Argh!

07.09.2003 23:15

Wow! Nice on guys :) Much love and peace to you all. Am such a dickhead for not being there with you. Hope you're all OK. BRILLIANT! Katie xxx

Katie

To all the nay sayers

11.09.2003 15:07

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" M. Ghandi.

Its a good turnout for a better cause.

Just a shame that many attanding the now infamous anti-war demonstrations in February weren't adequately agitated into seeing that this arms fair is the other side of the same capitalist coin.

Much respect to all who went.

Andy w