Campaigners are preparing to resist Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), one of the world’s largest arms fairs. DSEI is taking place at the ExCeL Centre in London between 12th-15th September. Protests will begin on 4th September for two weeks, with the first week targeting the setting up of the arms fair.

Over 2,800 defence and security suppliers will be courting deals with representatives from human-rights-abusing regimes, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel. Campaigners argue that the deals done at DSEI lead to death and devastation worldwide.

Stop the Arms Fair (STAF) coordinates the fortnight of resistance, with other groups organising specific events or days. These days will highlight the intersections of the arms trade and the different areas and communities it impacts, including migrant justice, arms sales to Israel, the climate crisis, policing and prisons and more.

Emily Apple, Campaign Against Arms Trade’s Media Coordinator, said:

“DSEI is a marketplace in death and destruction. Deals done at DSEI will cause misery worldwide, causing global instability and devastating people’s lives. Representatives from regimes such as Saudi Arabia, who have used UK-made weapons to commit war crimes in Yemen, will be wined, dined, and encouraged to buy yet more arms.

“Arms dealers do not care about peace or security. They care about perpetuating conflict because conflict increases profits for their shareholders. Meanwhile, this government has repeatedly shown that it cares more about the money made from dodgy deals with dictators than the people whose lives will be ruined by the sales made at DSEI.

“It’s therefore down to all of us to take action to resist DSEI and to shut this arms fair down for good.”

Image: Guy Smallman