Faith groups unite in call for end to DSEI arms fair

A coalition of faith groups, including Pax Christi , London Catholic Worker and the Quakers have come together to call for the UK government to stop its support for arms fairs and arms sales to oppressive regimes. The faith groups will be hosting a day of prayer and non-violent action against the arms trade and war profiteering, outside the Excel Centre on Tuesday 8 September, at the same time as the organisers are putting together the final preparations for DSEI.

Pax Christi will be leading an hour of prayer at 11am.

The call comes as the Defence & Security International Exhibition 2015 (DSEI), one of the world's biggest arms fairs, prepares to descend on London. The event, which takes place between 15-18 September in the Excel centre in East London, will bring thousands of arms company representatives together with military delegations from some of the most oppressive regimes in the world. The DSEI arms fair is where arms companies showcase their weapons and make deadly deals with buyers from across the world, including those from countries with serious human rights problems. The arms fair involves more than 1000 companies and 30,000 attendees.

In 2013 five Christian activists were charged for taking non-violent direction action outside DSEI 2013, all five were subsequently found not guilty. The case was supported by former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams who said: "We still badly need an honest debate about the arms trade - about the kinds of modern armaments that seem to contravene any defensible ethical framework, especially the refinements of anti-personnel weapons which cause most moral scandal."

The list of countries attending DSEI will not be published until the first day of the event, but past events have included military delegations from a range of abusive regimes; including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Libya, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Bahrain.

Campaigners will be gathering from 9am on Tuesday 8 September, close to the roundabout on Royal Albert Way. The nearest station is Prince Regent DLR station.

Programme:
Tues 8th Sept. Gathering from 9am, prayers and protests throughout the day....9am: Morning peace prayers with Put Down the Sword10am: Quaker meeting for worship11am: Pax Christi vigil12pm: Catholic Worker funeral procession1pm: Taize Against the Tanks
Bring food to share for lunch.

A further Day of Prayer 'Stop the Arms Fair' will be held on Sunday 13 September . See: www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/christian/day-of-prayer/2015/Day%20of%20prayer%202015_web.pdf