Just before 9am this morning around 6 suited anti-arms campaigners entered the foyer of British Aerospace UK HQ at 6 Carlton Gardens, London. 'All hell broke loose' as people tried to see the chief executive and other DSEi delegates. Three campaigners managed to run up some stairs and gain access to a meeting where they talked to BAE staff.

Soon and people were ejected from the building but managed to re-enter using a different door and get into a lift, before again being ejected from the building. The activists were soon joined by around 25 others with samaba band playing and the foyer of the BAE HQ was occupied with two people locking on with bicycle D locks.

5 others linked arms but were forcibly dragged out - there was one neck injury, some punched, and a bloody hand injury.

The MET police arrived and threw the loud drummers out of the foyer one by one and photographed the two locked on.

Outside the band continued to play while people waved placards reading "Bombs not Bread", "YES to WMDs", "Bomb More Babies" and "Protect My Oil Interests" in a loud, colourful, tongue in cheek demonstration.

The protest lasted for about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs with the two people inside being arrested and taken to charing cross police station. BAE will of course be exhibiting at the DSEi arms fair over the next few days.

after the action the band and others walked round the corner towards charring cross police station where the two who had locked-on inside had been taken by police.

on the way people stopped outside an army recruitment office before carrying on the the police station, where around 30 police rushed to line up in front of the doors on both sides of the building.

As someone who took part in this morning's occupation of British Aerospace's London headquarters, it was a fabulous atmosphere and a formidable way to begin our week of action against DSEI, the international arms trade and indeed the sort of society which breeds the need for the arms trade....
The action didn't require thousands of people or months to organise, and for me was a really positive experience, although unfortunately two arrests were made which is at the time of writing still being sorted out...
Just to say that if there's anyone reading who's thinking twice about getting involved in the week of action or in creating their own actions at DSEI, COME ALONG!

Remember: 'Be reasonable, demand the impossible' (Grafitti, Paris, 1968)