The sixth day of the Stop the Arms Fair resistance resumed yesterday with a full day of protests and performances by Inter Terrestrials, Boom Boom Racoon, Backyard Bully, Fedzilla, Thunder Tunnel & the Dangle Berry and Eva & Evie.
Activists, graffiti artists, circus performances and speakers such as Marwina Newton from Angel of Youths and London Mayoral candidate Sian Berry joined forces to carry out a “festival of resistance” to try and stop the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) event, one of the world’s largest arms fairs, from setting up on Monday.
Police forces continued their week-long tactics of aggression and intimidation to disrupt the planned events.
Police cordon up around peaceful protesters and a samba band at East Gate #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/eIDRHf3YZX
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
The state of policing in the UK against peaceful protesters here to #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/HOVcCzyq9C
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
Police even tried to prevent a Dalek calling out to “exterminate” the arms fair from crossing the road.
#StopDSEI exterminate the arms trade pic.twitter.com/J1baaDQ8v3
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
A van was stopped and searched in the afternoon.
Inner Terrestrials #StopDSEI gig now stopped as cops do a stop and search on a person and their van. But they’ll happily let vehicles filled with weapons past pic.twitter.com/ZuAb1hBeTE
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
However, despite police efforts to stop the day’s events, protesters and bystanders continued the musical resistance with defiant dancing.
No police resources says the @metpoliceuk. All this to ensure the arms fair at the Excel centre can continue #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/aRQScMrNE2
— Political Raver (@PoliticalRaver) September 11, 2021
Despite cops efforts, Festival of Resistance in full swing to #StopDSEI Inner Terrestrials playing now to protesters and large line of police who’re still blocking people from crossing the road just to listen to music. pic.twitter.com/lIxrZAw2zQ
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
Death and destruction continues to fill the Excel centre for profit. This is why we won’t stop until we #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/oWKpzPYlMK
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 11, 2021
Around 6pm, activist Marwina Newton, CEO of Angel of Youths, a charity committed to building projects to challenge inequalities faced by disadvantaged and marginalised communities, lifted up people’s spirits with a riveting speech. She called for solidarity with those affected by war crimes worldwide and highlighted the importance of the Black Lives Matter campaign. She said:
You’re fighting for me, you’re fighting for my children, for my children’s children, we’re fighting for our earth.
As the day became darker, Stop the Arms Fair captured an image showing three lines of police protecting the gates of DSEI at the ExCeL Centre. Protesters went on to gather at a music marquee on a grass verge with lights around the roof to listen to more performing bands.
Fedzilla + band We're Stopping the Arms Fair! Playing the Festival of Resistance at the gates of the arms fair #StopTheArmsFair #ShutDownDSEI pic.twitter.com/GDPrKDUNiN
— Stop The Arms Fair! (@StopTheArmsFair) September 11, 2021
The coalition reports of another incidence of police violence yesterday. Officers violently struck protesters standing around in the road with a baton. One protester who was already under arrest and lying on the floor, received further baton strikes from a policeman.
The campaign to stop DSEI will resume today with another full day of action in solidarity with Palestine.
Stay tuned via our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages for more live updates from the ground. We are very grateful to have received some financial support from Stop the Arms Fair in order to report the actions against DSEI from 6 to 17 September.
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Featured image supplied to Phoenix Media Co-op, used with permission