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features | 16.09.2005 23:00 | DSEi 2005 | Anti-militarism | London

DSEi 2005: There have been 57 arrests in relation to the DSEI policing operation to date +++ Convergence Centre +++ For full list of anti-DSEi actions, protests and events see: [ Disarm DSEi - CAAT Listing ] +++ Legal Advice Card (pdf) | Legal Briefing (pdf)

Full Timelines of DSEi Events: Sat 10th | Tues 13th | Wed 14th | Thurs 15th

Disarm DSEi | Campaign Against Arms Trade | Beat the Bombers - Party for Peace

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Comments

Hide the following 15 comments

So.....

10.09.2005 16:14

What?

Nothing happened today then?

Tyler


Yes it did ...

10.09.2005 18:46

See Timeline of events here:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322933.html
and Pics here:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/09/322933.html

You obiously didn't do much yourself Tyler if you didn't know, easier to moan isn't it?

party for peace


Eh, Party for Peace...

10.09.2005 22:36

Twas a fucking question you paranoid twat!

Missed the timeline obviously.

And no obviously I wasn't there, other commitments, but will be there Tuesday and Wednesday.

Is that alright with you?

Tyler


News from DSEi

13.09.2005 15:35

Check this out people, we have been noticed!

Information from The Metropolitan Police (3.40pm)

A march of approximately 200 people walked from Newham Town Hall to the ExCeL centre this afternoon (13.9.05). On reaching their destination the majority of people involved in the march have now disbanded.

The small group of approximately 50 protesters who were in the Custom House area have mainly dispersed although approximately five people remain.

Toby

Toby
mail e-mail: Tobyc@mtcp.co.uk


The Numbers Game

15.09.2005 14:57

Understandable frustration and even despair being expressed on here re. low turnouts.

Two things to say:

First, don't be too down-hearted folks! For every hardcore activist taking part there will be many more following events on IndyMedia and saying 'yeah, go for it!' Your impact is greater than you may think. All protest movements start small and get bigger.

Second, bear in mind activists have made certain tactical and political choices which were bound to have this effect. Rejecting StW-style populist mass mobilisation in favour of direct action does inevitably mean accepting smaller numbers, doesn't it?

The argument is that direct action is more effective and involving, not so much A-to-B marching and speeches 'from the platform' - but the trade-off is a smaller activist base.

Either we say okay, fair enough, so be it - or maybe be prepared to compromise a bit on tactics and do some stuff (I hesitate to say it!) a bit more like StW do?

Mr Spoon


NOT ENOUGH OF US

15.09.2005 23:39

Not enough of the general public knew about Dsei but everyone I spoke to was shocked to hear about it. INFORMATION is what the public need, and they are not going to get it from the mainstream media. There could and should have been way more people protesting. More leafletting, megaphoning and general spreading of information must be done for next time. People want to know, but most are just too lazy or preoccupied to find out for themselves and must be spoon fed. They need an organised itineray. That's why the STOP THE WAR and Make Poverty History marches worked, whatever you want to say about them they got poeple out on the streets. Marching mixed with direct action that is not necessarily too confrontational, people shy away from that. PEOPLE POWER IS LITTLE APPRECIATED, BECAUSE MOST HAVE FORGOTTEN THEY HAVE ANY.

PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.


Very unhappy

16.09.2005 10:39

Time to face facts and not delude ourselves, the protests were a disaster. Numbers were so low it was an embarrasment, stories about arms dealers being "delayed for hours" are simply not true.

If we want to stop DSEI 2007 we need to re-think from the ground up. This year we failed.

Sue


144 arrests says bbc

17.09.2005 11:52

Police have arrested a total of 144 people since 1 September, in moves against protests at the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition, says the BBC. This number is from Friday 12 September. Since then, at least 30 more arrests have been made. This would put the total number at around 175.
Apart from the CAAT march, I don't think there were much more than 250 people involved with counter-actions.

Where did the BBC get its numbers from?

Link:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3101886.stm

not a clown


2003

17.09.2005 17:52

the BBC got its figures from 2003, and indeed wrote the article you refer to in 2003

indymedia got its figures by paying attention.

me


Peaks and Troghs ( and more troughs?).

18.09.2005 11:25

Non many activists mobilised for 2004 DESi either so I don't know what people are banging on about.

You cant just blame it on the qualified success of the G8 mobilisation by the "Anti-Authoritarian" Left (AAL), which included the Dissent Network, and the iffy organisation of its leadership.

It's not surprising that most "direct action" activists stayed at home for DESi 2005. I mean who wants to run around like a headless chicken being repressed by the cops, without any prospect of disrupting the arms fair.

It's not right to just expect loads of people to turn up without organisers liaising with other left groups.

DESi 2003 attracted thousands, but after it the AAL ignored other lefts who did a lot of work to mobilise for DESi 2003. Some commented that they were getting too big for their boots, and were clueless about building an effective movement. But I would absolutely say that's not completely true.

The AAL can learn lessons from the experiences of the G8 and DESi this and last year, and rebuild ther forces. There is a need to face reality and not the follow the whims of its leaders. If the AAL arrogantly stand alone not only will they not count for very much at all, but they will completely dissapear off the radar.

Good luck, but get real.


Clandestino


Not that clued up ?

19.09.2005 06:58

"Non many activists mobilised for 2004 DESi either "

That's because DESI is every two years and there wasn't one in 2004. Perhaps a little research before posting next time

Not clandestino enough


see my comments on stop the war us and uk demos

28.09.2005 16:55

Yes it was a shambles. New tactics are needed. And like I say on the other comment:
if you are not in the news then you do not exist.

jolly jim


More people needed, more awareness needed

05.10.2005 19:39

Impressive numbers of people turned out for this anti-war protest, in direct contrast to the people who attempted to Shut Down DSEI the other week.
Surely stopping war has something to do with selling arms?
The police and docklands rail system would have been easily overwhelmed by such numbers of people simply using this method of public transport (using a 4 zone travel card to justify them being there!) and essentially shut down DSEI!
Im not slagging off the efforts of those who had a go at DSEI (good on you for getting in there), but you need to be a bit more imaginative then just sitting down at the station and then getting dragged away by aggressive coppers. How about a few people jumping on the track and running in opposite directions - it would take hours to get the trains running again.
People should have been handing out flyers in central london and on the tubes, making everyone aware of what was going on at DSEI.
People should have hijacked the 'fuel protesters' media opportunities and got on National TV.
You have to remember that if it doesnt go on the news, then the event never existed. And, other than back slapping within the protest scene, this is essentially what happens every year.

Lets get organised!

Jolly Jim

jolly jim


direct action dead?

10.10.2005 11:48

i think the pathetic results of the DSEI campaign show the total political bankruptcy of the liberal middle class dominated 'direct action scene'. it's about time these bigoted anti working class fulltime lifestyle activists who give a bd name to anarchism stepped aside and let class struggle organisation take centre stage - ours is the only struggle that counts!

working class community and workplace self organisation is the only way to challange the arms trade, not sitting outside a DLR station with some babies and a tame pedophile.

barry blagger


no its up to you

24.10.2005 13:52

it was better than you're action I bet (what did yu do to make it better) maybe you should organise something if you're pissed off with DSEI activists.

Fin