Resistance continued against the DSEI arms fair on 12 and 13 September, the 7th and 8th days of protest against the event.
On Sunday, a march took place through Newham, calling for an end to the arms fair:
❤️❤️❤️✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸✌🏾#StopDSEI #FreePalestine https://t.co/jOMYZx5W2j
— ShahdAbusalama (@ShahdAbusalama) September 12, 2021
#StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/hg0A7KKhDp
— PSC (@PSCupdates) September 12, 2021
Marching on the streets of Newham with @WarOnWant members to protest against #DSEI2021 #ARMSFAIR & calling on UK to #StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/ivYlJFvKbo
— asad rehman (@chilledasad100) September 12, 2021
“Not in our city, not in our borough!” – PSC Director @BenJamalpsc bringing our #ResistDSEI demo to a close today. Thank you to all those who joined us from the Newham community #StopArmingIsrael
See you this Thursday➡️https://t.co/zPOShFoYG4 pic.twitter.com/T8Wdxj9qPy
— PSC (@PSCupdates) September 12, 2021
Meanwhile, at ExCeL, campaigners from direct action group Palestine Action scaled a fence and covered the delegates’ entrance with red paint, symbolising the blood of the people killed by weapons sold at DSEI. Two people were reportedly arrested.
The entrance to #DSEI2021 has been covered in red paint #StopDSEI https://t.co/WalvjxvBZf
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 12, 2021
Arms fair dealers & war mongers entrance tent sprayed suitably in red: messy — but war kills, direct actions don't #StopDSEI #ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/5oQBi676jB
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) September 12, 2021
Amazing work ❤️🖤💚 https://t.co/uxBK2vjr00
— Stop The Arms Fair! (@StopTheArmsFair) September 12, 2021
On Monday 13 September, actions continued against the setup of the fair. A die-in protest was held outside the gates of ExCeL, preventing access to the premises.
Activist lay down infront of the entrance of one of the world's biggest arms fairs in London right now, reminding attendees how the weapons sold at the DSEI arms fair will be used across the world in conflict @StopTheArmsFair #StopDSEI #stopthearmsfair pic.twitter.com/R0YKaYnVSa
— Demilitarise Education (@dED_ucation) September 13, 2021
Youngest die in activist ever?! @StopTheArmsFair pic.twitter.com/24BS8Kwoq5
— Demilitarise Education (@dED_ucation) September 13, 2021
@StopTheArmsFair has officially closed the entrance of the DSEI arms fair!!! For now anyway!! We need more people and shares more tags and more people shouting #stopthearmsfair !!! Profit from pain is inhumane pic.twitter.com/WdhqCLzRLc
— Demilitarise Education (@dED_ucation) September 13, 2021
And later in the day a military helicopter inside the ExCeL compound was occupied:
Protester has occupied a military helicopter in the Excel compound ✊🏼#StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/szMYeItmbG
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 13, 2021
✊✊✊ #StopTheArmsFair #ShutDownDSEI https://t.co/rwk7hhxFnG
— Stop The Arms Fair! (@StopTheArmsFair) September 13, 2021
In the evening, a faith-based silent vigil was held against the arms fair:
Meanwhile, a multi faith vigil continues to grow at West Gate #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/0Aps6qUdQI
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 13, 2021
#DSEI2021 only let 100 people in for the vigil. So many more people from different faiths forced to stay on the other side of the fence #DisarmDSEI #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/gxGg7ujSQb
— Phoenix Media Co-op (@Phoenix_Coop) September 13, 2021
200 of us gathered in silence in Peace Vigil at the DSEI Arms Fair site @ICN_UK @njpn @ColumbansUK @Passionists @eappiukireland @PaxChristi @PaxChristiYouth pic.twitter.com/CFkkFxXEqe
— Pax Christi England and Wales (@paxchristiEW) September 13, 2021
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