A small delegation from various Cambridge groups recently attended a
preliminary planning meeting for demonstrations against the Defense Systems
Equipment International (DSEi) arms fair which will take place in London
from 9-12 September 2003, at the ExCel Centre. DSEi is the largest arms
fair in Europe and in 2001 was the venue for well over £500,000,000 worth
of arms sales completed on-site in 4 days.
preliminary planning meeting for demonstrations against the Defense Systems
Equipment International (DSEi) arms fair which will take place in London
from 9-12 September 2003, at the ExCel Centre. DSEi is the largest arms
fair in Europe and in 2001 was the venue for well over £500,000,000 worth
of arms sales completed on-site in 4 days.
The demonstrations will start somewhat earlier than the fair itself, on 6
September, and continue for the duration of the arms fair or until the
protests succeed in shutting it down. The protests are being organized by
a wide array of organizations: church groups, NGOs, unions, etc., and also
some of the more extraparliamentary groups with which you may be familiar.
Actions are being coordinated by an umbrella organization called "Disarm
DSEi" which consists of about 45 groups including the world-renowned
Cambridge Students Against (the) War.
There will be a meeting in Cambridge on Thursday 7 August, 7:30pm at the
Friends' Meeting House on Jesus Lane so that local people can start
planning involvement in these national demonstrations / attempt to shut
down the arms fair.
More information on the shutdown attempt is available at
http://www.dsei.org/
To get a feel for the general atmosphere of arms-consumption which will be
taking place at the ExCel Centre, you can visit the official DSEi web site
at http://www.dsei.co.uk/2001_review.htm
Special emphasis should be placed on the review of the last DSEi
exhibition, which culminated on 11 September 2001 with a celebratory
banquet. Although the dust from the World Trade Centre attacks was
literally still hanging in the air, the arms dealers went ahead with their
festivities, perhaps buoyed by the thought of better times ahead.
September, and continue for the duration of the arms fair or until the
protests succeed in shutting it down. The protests are being organized by
a wide array of organizations: church groups, NGOs, unions, etc., and also
some of the more extraparliamentary groups with which you may be familiar.
Actions are being coordinated by an umbrella organization called "Disarm
DSEi" which consists of about 45 groups including the world-renowned
Cambridge Students Against (the) War.
There will be a meeting in Cambridge on Thursday 7 August, 7:30pm at the
Friends' Meeting House on Jesus Lane so that local people can start
planning involvement in these national demonstrations / attempt to shut
down the arms fair.
More information on the shutdown attempt is available at
http://www.dsei.org/ To get a feel for the general atmosphere of arms-consumption which will be
taking place at the ExCel Centre, you can visit the official DSEi web site
at
http://www.dsei.co.uk/2001_review.htm Special emphasis should be placed on the review of the last DSEi
exhibition, which culminated on 11 September 2001 with a celebratory
banquet. Although the dust from the World Trade Centre attacks was
literally still hanging in the air, the arms dealers went ahead with their
festivities, perhaps buoyed by the thought of better times ahead.
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