As one merry band of protesters moves out of London another moves in. The Defence Systems and Equipment International show (more familiarly known as 'the world's largest arms fair') starts tomorrow at the ExCel Centre. And judging by previous years, anyone around the Docklands this week should prepare for delays, delays, and a few more delays.
Disarm DSEi plan to march through the City tomorrow, leaving post-it notes for companies that invest in arms. You can probably expect attempts to shut down the DLR and roads leading to ExCel, as well as demos outside. Why the kerfuffle? Well, these are arms dealers, some from nations with, uh, interesting human rights records, dealing with items that are, uh, not pleasant. For once, it's a lefty protest with a point.
Even though Climate Camp passed off with the fluffiest policing possible, protest groups are still divided over how much to talk to police and Disarm DSEi are among the antis. During the last fair in 2007, the military were brought in to help protect exhibitors and visitors; could the papers finally get the confrontation they were denied at Blackheath? (Near the Excel Centre by Kulbowski from the Londonist Flickr pool)
