On Thursday 21st August activists occupied the head office of Spearhead, the company organising Europe's largest arms fair, Defence Systems Equipment International (DSEi), while a large banner reading "Spearhead - DSEing with Death!" was hung from the building. See reports 1 | 2 and pics
Leaflets were also handed out to passers by, and office staff, explaining the role of Spearhead in organising DSEi, and asking staff to consider conscientiously objecting to the event. There were four arrests, but all were later released without charge.
For more on DSEi see the special DSEi 2003 Section.
Leaflets were also handed out to passers by, and office staff, explaining the role of Spearhead in organising DSEi, and asking staff to consider conscientiously objecting to the event. There were four arrests, but all were later released without charge.
For more on DSEi see the special DSEi 2003 Section.
protesters target Spearhead because of their involvement in the arms trade
One of the protesters, Sally Mander said, "We believe Spearhead's involvement in the promotion of armed conflict is a crime against peace. The arms trade fuels war and terrorism. We could feed the world 14 times over on the amount spent on weapons. This arms fair is a hideous market place of weapons of mass destruction and we're not prepared to stay at home and ignore the trade in death that's going on right under our noses."
At the first DSEi in 1999 the Pakistan Ordnance Factory and a Romanian arms firm were both prepared to supply land mines, anned under international law, to undercover journalists. The exhibition has dealers from organisations including BAe who sold hawk jets to the Indonesian government who then used them to commit genocide in East Timor, and Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (dstl) which includes Porton Down - manufacturers and researchers of Chemical and Biological Weapons.
At the last DSEi in September 2001 arms dealers from countries well known for abuses of human rights like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Algeria, Turkey, Colombia, China and Nigeria were invited, and it is thought that they will again be present.
According to the UN Human Development Report, world governments spend
At the first DSEi in 1999 the Pakistan Ordnance Factory and a Romanian arms firm were both prepared to supply land mines, anned under international law, to undercover journalists. The exhibition has dealers from organisations including BAe who sold hawk jets to the Indonesian government who then used them to commit genocide in East Timor, and Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (dstl) which includes Porton Down - manufacturers and researchers of Chemical and Biological Weapons.
At the last DSEi in September 2001 arms dealers from countries well known for abuses of human rights like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Algeria, Turkey, Colombia, China and Nigeria were invited, and it is thought that they will again be present.
According to the UN Human Development Report, world governments spend
