Merchants of Death Free Walking Tour

London CAAT | 09.09.2009 16:37 | Anti-militarism

A brief report on the Merchants of Death Guided Tour the London arm of Campaign Against the Arms Trade carried out today.

London Campaign Against Arms Trade took fourteen people on a free walking tour of arms companies in London. An interested crowd were taken to BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ, Armor Group, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics as well as the UK Trade and Investment Department; the latter being particularly pertinent in light of it’s support for the DSEi arms fair taken place this week. The four organisers gave a brief talk at each location as well as touching upon other issues in the arms trade. Another tour will take place on Sunday 25th October, setting off at 2pm from the clock tower between Victoria station and the Palace theatre.

London CAAT
e-mail: londoncaat@riseup.net

Comments

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A very effective protest

09.09.2009 17:17

Although it attracted fewer people, this protest was clearly more effective than DISARM DSEI because it got the message over to the arms companies. Targeting banks, and smashing a single window, may have been good fun, but I suspect that its only affect will be to persuade the arms trade that they don’t have a lot to worry about.

CAAT is effective because it combines sensible campaigning with lobbying politicians. It supports this by managing the media and using lawyers where appropriate.

Nick

Hmm

10.09.2009 00:00

A nice idea this. Which is why we (CIRCA and chums) did it back in 2005! It was both educational and enjoyable, and was seen as so dangerous that it attrated the attention of about ten van loads of cops (not bad for 15 people!) They seemed a little miffed that we were preventing them from policing the Ashes England victory open top bus tthingy! Bless 'em!)

Sgt Sideshow

The hippy hippy shake

10.09.2009 05:52

Well, one can only wonder how many arms dealers resigned in the wake of this highly effective walking tour? How many of them decided that they would produce socially useful things instead? Perhaps Nick can give us regular updates of how effective the tactics he is supporting are being - all this sensible campaigning - when will it end the arms trade? I'm sure once Nick has pricked the consciences of the arms manufacturers then they won't carry on, even though companies are prepared to invest billions in their deathly products.

Saved from the streets by Nick

cheers not jeers

10.09.2009 10:49

Thanks for this brief report. I was unable to go but thanks to this reminder I have put the October walk in my diary.
The more demonstration and (real) information and the greater the diversity of ways and means to oppose these arms trade bottom feeders the better.

cheers not jeers

this isn't supposed to make arms companies quake in their boots

12.09.2009 00:46

I think some of the critics of this are missing the point.

These kind of events aren't intended to make the companies quake in their boots and give up their weapons manufacturing. They are there for awareness-raising among the attendees, and maybe for some local press coverage.

Maybe some of the people present, or people reading about this in the media, will learn about the scumbags near them and be inspired to take more militant EDO-style action in the future?

anon