The week of actions against the DSEI arms fair continued on Thursday night. The most powerful weapons buyers and sellers gathered at the Dorchester Hotel in London's Park Lane for a luxury dinner with arms deals on the side. The DSEi/DMA dinner is an important part of the DSEi week, both for networking within the arms industry and as an opportunity to make agreements for weapons sales, perhaps over a glass of blood-red wine.
A protest outside the hotel was called, and a Bikes Not Bombs Critical Mass gathered at the South Bank to move towards Park Lane. Earlier in the day the Princess of Wales fountain was dyed blood red to remember victims of cluster bombs, whilst police activity continued in Rampart Street where several people were searched and one arrested in relation to the DSEi protests.
Reports: Anti DSei Critical Mass penned under s12/14 | Disrupting the DSEi Dinner at the Dorchester Hotel
Timeline Of Events: See full Ticker
For further information, see Disarm DSEi and Indymedia's DSEi topic page.
Read more >>
The security cordon around DSEi, the "fastest-growing defence show in the world." was breached shortly after 7.30am this morning, when a group of about 20 activists ran into the car park of the ExCeL Centre in London's docklands, where the exhibition opened today. A solidarity blockade of BAE took place in Manchester. About 80 people joined a CAAT march and rally, and about 50 cyclists arrived at Custom House DLR station from a critical mass style ride that left Bank tube station mid-morning. Space Hijackers managed to get a tank and sound system to the main entrance of ExCeL, after diverting the police with a decoy tank. They auctioned off the tank and invited the 200 strong crowd to a party against the arms fair so to let the fair's delegates know what they think about their murderous business.
Timeline Of Events: See full Ticker
Reports: A day at DSEI | London Catholic Workers Expose Rivers of Blood at DSEi | Dsei security not fit for purpose
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Video
Outline of Day Events:
17:30: Protestors have been shouting slogans and jeering arms fair delegates as they leave via Canning Town DLR station. One banner reads "Stop Dealing in Death". The area is still full of police who continue to stop and search small groups of protestors, but most delegates have now left.
17:00: Critical Mass has moved off towards Canning Town. Tank has left the West Entrance.
16:30: Many police reported to be at Canning Town station which is used by the delegates to leave the arms fair
16:00: The tank was sold for $50 [.wav audio report]. The party continues.
15:45: Critical Mass has arrived at the West Gate, where police are placing barriers around the tank and protestors. The auction of the tank starts at 16:00 [.wav audio report]
15:10 The second tank has now been driven off the low loader and has approached the West gate of DSEi where it has parked blocking the mini roundabout entrance [.wav audio report]. The turret is facing the arms fair, music is blasting out and a 'For Sale' sign has been hung on the side. [Aduio reports: 1 | 2]
14:25 Another rogue tank has been spotted on a low loader lorry heading towards DSEi. Protestors are now following behind it. The Space Hijackers tank in Lochnagar Street in undergoing a lengthy police inspection. [.wav audio report]
14:10 After negotiating a planned route with the police the Space Hijackers Tank finally moved off, but has now been stopped after advancing only around 10 yards. A police officer has just said that they intend to carry out a vehicle check on the tank and may also search the 9 or so occupants of the tank - he estimated this could take up to an hour. [.wav audio report]
14:00 Around 80 people are protesting outside Custom House DLR (Docklands Light Railway) station next to DSEi. They were joined by some of the cyclists who were on an earlier critical mass type demonstration. There are reports of police searching people coming off the DLR.
For further information, see Disarm DSEi and Indymedia's DSEi topic page
Contribute your news direct via the blasted reporting number 0207 043 3783, plus check out 'the streets' SMS news alerts.
Past coverage: 2001 | 2003 | 2005 Links: Nottingham Disarm DSEi | Space Hijackers | CAAT | London CAAT
Read more >>
The Shepard Group annual conference on Electronic Warfare was successfully disrupted by activists on Tuesday 15th by a surprise action. The Olympia Conference Centre in central London hosted the event that, under the title of "First in Defence - First to Counter", arms dealers converged to sell 'high tech' weaponry and assorted murder equipment to each other. People who are involved in campaigning against the arms trade were not going to let it go unnoticed.
Protesters managed to get onto the roof and drop a banner that said "Smart Bombs- Stupid Wars" whilst other demonstrators in suits managed to infiltrate the conference. After a tour of the place they were able to disrupt events with shouts of "Murderers! War Criminals!" before being thrown out by large men in ill-fitting suits.
Meanwhile as this was happening a Samba band turned up as protesters with megaphones and flyers told passers by and staff at the Olympia Conference Centre about the war crimes committed by the delegates present at the conference. A US officer was spotted walking away from the conference and was hounded by demonstrators. The action lasted over two hours, and there were no arrests. [Read full article and Photos]
For related reports see the IMC-London Antimilitarism and IMC-UK Antimilitarism topic pages.
Related links: Smash Edo Campaign | Disarm DSEi | Campaign Against The Arms Trade
Read more >>
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Mayday 2007
No Borders Days of Action 06
M18 Anti War
Mayday 2006
Refugee Week 2006
SOCPA
Day of Action Against Migration Controls
DSEi 2005
ESF 2004
Server Seizure
May Day 2004
2003 Bush Visit
DSEi 2003
May Day 2003
No War Feb 15
Spaces
rampART
Bowl Court
56a Infoshop
LARC
Pogo Cafe
Groups/Projects
Offline/InfoUsurpa
No Borders
Rising Tide
Freedom Bookshop
Advisory Service For Squatters
RoR samba band
Space Hijackers
LDMG
Campaigns
Disarm DSEi
Food Not Bombs
London No2ID
Bikes Not Bombs
Climate Camp
Regular Events
Critical Mass
Anarchist Bookfair
Anarchist Forum
