600 hundred young Christians will kneel in a 50ft-long makeshift ‘trench’ outside the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) in central London today. Christian prayer and campaign network SPEAK is calling for an end to the public funding of DESO - the controversial government department which markets UK arms exports on behalf of companies - and for the millions of pounds currently being spent on this promotion of weapons to be put to better use.
Following a rally, the protestors will leave Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church at 1.30pm to process in black to DESO’s offices in Bury Place where each protestor, holding a daffodil as a symbol of hope and new life, will get in the ‘trench’.
The climax of the day will see the protestors kneel to take communion in the massive makeshift war trench as a corporate act of repentance for the violence and destruction caused by the UK government’s support of the arms trade. They will hand in a letter to a representative of DESO, along with the 600 daffodils.
This action will coincide with the tabling of two Early Day Motions by Labour MP John Battle, which support SPEAK’s arms trade campaign. Representatives of the SPEAK network will also be meeting with government ministers to discuss their concerns on the day.
Beccie D’Cunha, campaigns co-ordinator at SPEAK, said: “UK arms exports are causing countless deaths and fuelling conflicts all over the world. Not only is our government allowing the sale of UK arms to dangerous and oppressive regimes - it is actually subsidising the arms companies to sell them! DESO is spending over £16 million per year of taxpayers’ money to aggressively market arms to countries like India and Pakistan. This subsidy is immoral and uneconomical and could be spent creating far more jobs that benefit society rather than destroy it.”
SPEAK campaigner Lucy Cathcart said: “DESO is shrouded in secrecy – most people don’t even know their taxes are being spent in this way. I’m joining in this action because I hope it will expose the myths that are surrounding the arms trade.”
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