One of the world’s biggest ever trade fairs for guns, bombs, military planes, small arms, mines and tanks is taking place in London from 9- 12 September 2003. DSEi takes place at the same time as the WTO meets in Mexico to continue its relentless campaign to turn everything we need to survive into profit for the already rich and into death for those who can’t pay. Thousands of protesters are invited to the UK to stop this market of death and to make DSEi the focus of European anti- WTO protest.
Defence Systems Equipment International - Destroying Societies, Environments and Individuals - is an arms fair, sponsored by the British government. It will host arms buyers from all over the world - including countries on Amnesty International’s list of human rights abusers and others who should be!
Also shopping at this huge arms fair will be delegates representing some of the poorest countries in Africa and Asia. Right now a hundred and one regimes happy to crush dissent and slaughter the inhabitants of their own and other countries are hiding behind the threadbare mask of the “War on Terrorism”. Whether it’s the US and Britain almost anywhere, Russia in Chechnya, the Stans around the Caspian oil wells, Israel on the West Bank, Turkey in Kurdistan, China in Tibet, innocent people are being murdered in the interests of capital.
The last DSEi exhibition took place on 11 th September, the day of the attacks on New York and Washington. Whilst many businesses around the world closed, the arms fair was not halted. For three more days, countries including, America, Israel and 14 different Arab nations continued to shop side- by- side for weapons to kill each other with.
The arms trade, of which DSEi 2003 is an important part, is an international political business made up of multinational companies which make products that kill and maim for profit. These companies play a leading role in the unjust global economic system which causes poverty and human rights abuses around the world.
Civilians made up 90 percent of all war casualties during the 1900s. Wars continue today only thanks to the arms trade. Due to globalisation, the arms companies operate above the law, outside of trade agreements and in favour only of the rich and powerful.
The arms business in the UK also harms local communities. The London borough of Newham, where DSEi is taking place, is one of the poorest in the country. Holding Europe’s largest weapons fair at an exhibition centre that overlooks the already impoverished working class estates of Canning Town is no surprise. In fact it it is exactly the kind of boot in the face ordinary people have come to expect from Britain’s government - creating a massive boom in the international weapons industry alongside the global demolition of already pathetic public services.
THIS CALL INVITES YOU TO TAKE PART IN THE DAY OF DIRECT ACTION AND TO FOCUS ACTIONS TO HIT THE DEATH MERCHANTS AT THE FAIR, AT THEIR MULTINATIONAL OFFICES AND AT MILITARY BASES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE FAIR.
THE AIM - TO SHUT DOWN DSEi AND DAMAGE THE INDUSTRY BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY. THERE WILL BE NO GUIDELINES OR RULES.
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dsei_ da@ london. com
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Building on past experience and contacts, a broad range of groups from pacifists to the black bloc are co- ordinating through DISARM DSEi. A range of events and actions are planned from 6- 12 September including a counter conference, a united march, a day of non- violent civil disobedience and a day of assorted direct action.
DISARM DSEi holds fortnightly co- ordinating meetings which are open to one representative of each supporting and working group.
Supporting groups at present : Anarchist Federation, Anarchist Youth Network, CAAT, Carnivalistas, CND, D10, Destroy DSEi, Disobedience, Global Women’s Strike, Hackney Refugee and Migrant Support Group, London International Socialist Resistance, Revo, Rhythms of Resistance, SOAS People & Planet, SOAS STW, Surrey Anarchist Group, Tower Hamlets STW, Wildfire, WOMBLES, Women in Black, Youth & Student CND
If your group wishes to support the week of action and get involved in
the co- ordinating process, contact:
Email: disarm@ dsei. org.
Website: www.dsei.org
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