We were there to stand in the way of deliveries at DSEI 2015. Please donate today and help us to organise more effective action like this! |
Just a week ago, against the backdrop of the ongoing refugee crisis, our government was rubbing shoulders with a host of arms dealers, human rights abusers and war criminals – the very people fuelling and profiting from the current crisis - at London's DSEI arms fair.
Despite Saudi Arabia's plans to execute a young man for protesting against its oppressive regime when he was just 17 years old, the UK government saw no problem with inviting the Saudis to shop for weapons at DSEI. A delegation from Mexico, where in 2014 police wielding imported arms kidnapped and 'disappeared' 43 innocent students, were also among those our government saw fit to invite. The delegations were greeted by representatives of over 1500 arms companies, including Israeli arms producers boasting about their weapons being 'battle-tested' on Palestinians.
Please donate to CAAT and join us in saying this is NOT acceptable.
Arms deliveries blocked!
In the week leading up to DSEI opening its doors, we organised a marathon of action to disrupt the set up of the arms fair. To kick off the week, Palestine solidarity activists encircled an armoured vehicle with a traditional Palestinian Dabke dance, blocking the military equipment from entering. The next day, beyond just blocking the entrance, activists managed to chase a combat vehicle back up the road away from the arms fair! Later in the week, refugee solidarity groups set up an 'alternative border force' with one simple policy: arms dealers not welcome!
Exposing the arms fair
Whilst some of you joined us to take action in the streets, our researchers were working round the clock to uncover and publicise details of the arms fair. Throughout the week, we were the first to gain information on the countries attending and the weaponry set for display. This resulted in mass media coverage, getting our message out to more people than ever before. And even those who don't read the newspapers could not ignore the cheeky adverts that popped up across London's transport network!
We also took the opportunity to push the issue of UK arms sales in Westminster, with a parliamentary debate whilst the arms fair was going on. Thanks to CAAT supporters urging them to attend, MPs from across party divides showed up to push our message that promoting arms exports is incompatible with human rights.
Please donate to CAAT and help support more vital action against the arms trade:
www.caat.org.uk/support-our-work/donate
Change cannot happen on its own – and none of the action we have taken would have been possible without the support of people like you. With more arms fairs like Adex in South Korea and Farnborough International in the UK just around the corner, we urgently need to continue building our campaign.
CAAT is dedicated to taking effective political action towards ending the arms trade. To make sure we've got a strong independent voice, our campaign relies almost entirely on donations from individual supporters like you. Please click here to make a one off donation or here to set up a Direct Debit and join us in challenging the arms trade and standing up for human rights.
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Thank you so much for your support.
Tom Barns
Campaign Against Arms Trade
P.S. Regular donations by Direct Debit are the most cost-effective way for us to receive your support, and help us to plan our long-term work. If you haven't already, and possibly can, please click here to set up a regular gift today.