This week the world's largest arms fair returns to the ExCel Centre in East London during 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 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the impending closure of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), a government department whose sole purpose is to support arms sales. Secondly, the announcement by Reed-Elsevier, the organisers of DSEi, that they intend to sell their arms fair business. Reed's announcement came after sustained campaigning by many groups including the editorial boards of journals which Reed publishes, most prominently The Lancet, who maintained that supporting arms fairs was not compatible with medical ethics.

Some affinity group actions have already taken place with Army recruitment adverts repurposed in Oxford, and a lock-on and weapons inspection at MSI in Norwich 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 picketed by anti-arms protesters. For the first day of DSEi itself the Disarm DSEi campaign has called protesters to invade ExCel, and the Spacehijackers have announced that they will be auctioning a tank to protesters to level the odds. There will also be a Critical Mass ride to the arms fair.

For further information, see Disarm DSEi and Indymedia's DSEi topic page plus check out the SMS news alerts and reporting numbers.

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