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DSEi Day 2 and Disarm goes to ExCEL

Kill the Arms Trade | 09.09.2009 16:36 | Anti-militarism

Today being the second day of DSEi, a group of about 20 had arranged to meet up and head for the ExCEL Centre. FIT were down the road from LARC and more turned up at Freedom, so no element of surprise was possible. We met up in a local park, and set off, attracting an ever larger gaggle of cops on the way to Tower Gateway, with more joining the throng at the station. By the time we got onto the train, there were almost as many cops as protestors. Arriving at Custom House DLR, one member of the group was pulled aside for a search under Section 1 for drugs. The rest of the group were escorted up the stairs to a walkway overlooking the centre and platform, where the sound system was switched on, banners put up and delegates generally abused using a powerful megaphone. The glass on the side of the walkway proved very effective for banging on as delegates gathered on the platform below.

After a couple of hours, a group of British Transport cops including an Inspector who was clutching his NETCU handbook, and followed by a copper with a video camera. The Inspector attempted to read out something from the handbook, whilst his underling attempted to film, but their presence caused even more noise, the siren from the megaphone started going off, the sound system went up, people kept wandering off and others blocked the camera which was pointed over the Inspector's shoulder - until eventually it was pointed away, and the inspector finally gave up trying to display his literacy skills. Tea and chips seemed like a good idea as delegate abuse can be quite thirst-making, and with our gaggle of FIT, TSG and transport cops, we made our way from the station to a local cafe. Memories of the old days flooded back as we sat down to eat and drink, watched over by the menagerie of cops. We then made our way to Prince Regen DLR where vanfuls of Transport Cops were waiting. The train set off, and an announcement informed us it would not be stopping at Customs house to collect delegates. Cheered up by this, some of the group got off at the next staion to see if they could get more trains to pass delegates who were flooding out of the ExCEL centre by this time. Most of the menagerie got off with them, whilst a handful made out way back into London. I last saw FIT following some people with a banner as i made my way for a bus. Considering the impossibility of staying in the Customs House station for any length of time, it made a change to have our freedom to protest facilitated. Whatever was in the NETCU handbook, will remain a mystery.

Kill the Arms Trade

Additions

Pix of the event

10.09.2009 07:06

Pix of the protesters occupying the space at Custom House etc on London Indymedia
 https://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2393

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