Skip to content or view screen version

Young people protest in trenches against the arms trade

anti-deso anti-dsei | 02.03.2004 16:32 | DSEi 2005 | DSEi 2003 | Anti-militarism | London

On Monday 23rd February, hundreds of young christians knelt in a 50ft-long makeshift 'trench' outside the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) offices in Bury Place, central London. DESO is the controversial government department which markets UK arms exports on behalf of companies, and is behind the DSEi arms fair (Defence Systems Equipment International) - Europe's largest arms fair, last held in London's Docklands in September 2003.

main banner on march
main banner on march

heading to DESO's offices
heading to DESO's offices

police barriers transformed into a symbolic military trench
police barriers transformed into a symbolic military trench

facing DESO's offices
facing DESO's offices

kneeling to pray
kneeling to pray

about to take communion
about to take communion


Christian prayer and campaign network SPEAK organised the demonstration calling for an end to the public funding of DESO and for the millions of pounds currently being spent on this promotion of weapons to be put to better use.

The protesters slowly marched from Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church to DESO’s offices in Bury Place to the sound of a slow drum beat, with many holding daffodils as a symbol of hope and new life. Outside DESO's offices there was street theatre before the protestors knelt to meditate, pray and take communion in the makeshift war trench.

The action also coincided with the tabling of two Early Day Motions by Labour MP John Battle, which support SPEAK’s arms trade campaign.

Beccie D’Cunha, campaigns co-ordinator at SPEAK, said:

"UK arms exports are causing countless deaths and fuelling conflicts all over the world. Not only is our government allowing the sale of UK arms to dangerous and oppressive regimes - it is actually subsidising the arms companies to sell them! DESO is spending over £16 million per year of taxpayers’ money to aggressively market arms to countries like India and Pakistan. This subsidy is immoral and uneconomical and could be spent creating far more jobs that benefit society rather than destroy it."

SPEAK campaigner Lucy Cathcart said:

"DESO is shrouded in secrecy – most people don’t even know their taxes are being spent in this way. I’m joining in this action because I hope it will expose the myths that are surrounding the arms trade."


SPEAK:
 http://www.speak.org.uk

Indymedia Reports on Dsei Protests 2003:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2003/dsei/feature/archive.html

anti-deso anti-dsei