- Over 100 activists were arrested for protesting against DSEI, one of the world’s biggest arms fairs, last September
- 43 activists to be tried at Stratford Magistrates Court in coming weeks
- DSEI brought some of the world’s most repressive regimes to London
Tomorrow will see the first trials of 2018 for activists that were arrested last September for protesting against the Defence & Security Equipment International arms fair (DSEI). 43 activists will be on trial for ‘obstruction of the highway’ in the weeks ahead.
The guest list for DSEI featured all of the biggest arms companies in the world, as well as military delegations representing a range of human rights abusing regimes and dictatorships: including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Philippines, Turkey and Thailand.
The defendants on trial tomorrow are Matt Fawcett, Bryony Moore, Brigid-Mary Oates, Guillame Chome (all from Yorkshire CND), Angie Zelter, from Knighton in Wales, Margaret Bremner from Edinburgh, Randall Harford from Bristol, Barbara Cookson from Liverpool and Genny Scherer, from London. All have been charged with ‘obstruction of the highway.’
Over 100 people were arrested for protesting against the arms fair. Some have had charges dropped, with 43 activists on trial at Stratford Magistrates Court over the coming weeks and months. Trials will take place on:
- 10-12, 17-18 and 24-25 January
- 01-02, 07-09, 14-16 and 21-23 February
- 07-08 March
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said:
The policing at DSEI was totally inappropriate and very heavy-handed, with over 100 arrests for taking part in peaceful protests and direct action. The protesters rightly opposed the presence of human rights abusers and arms dealers. The way that the police behaved was bang out of order.
London is a global city, with thousands of residents who have fled the same regimes that were attending DSEI. The police should have been looking at the despots, dictatorships and torturers that were in attendance, not intimidating and criminalising those that stood up to them.
Polling done prior to DSEI found that 76% of UK adults oppose arms exports to repressive regimes and 64% oppose government support for arms fairs that include representatives from governments with poor human rights records.
If you would like to speak to defendants or to be kept up-to-date with court verdicts then please let me know.
ENDS
For further information please contact Andrew at media(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.
