This page refers to the 2017 Week of Action. For 2019, follow this link for details of what is planned: 2019 Week of Action, Vigils and Art the Arms Fair.

When London plays host to one of the world’s largest arms fairs, war, repression and injustice start here.

That’s why a huge and diverse movement is building to shut the arms fair down on 4th – 11th September before it even gets started.

For four days in September 2017, the international weapons industry plans to set up shop in London at a huge arms fair, DSEI. The weapons sold here fuel the death, destruction and injustice perpetrated by militaries, police forces and at borders around the world. In 2015, hundreds of people took part in a huge week of action to stop the set up of the arms fair – the biggest-ever protests against DSEI. For six days we blocked entrances, disrupting the set-up of the fair.

With the arms fair planning to return in 2017, the protests will be even bigger and – with your help – we plan to shut it down for good!

A week of action has been called for the 4th – 11th September 2017, and we need everyone to help make it happen.

This year the week of action has multiple actions planned on each day. Below are some of the actions already planned.

Accessibility information about the demonstrations.

Know Your Rights while on demonstrations.

Monday 4th September: Stop Arming Israel

During the world’s biggest arms fair, Israel and its arms companies will have a National Pavilion and boast about their field-tested weapons systems, which have been used to devastate Palestinian families and destroy their communities. Join a day of creative action in support of the campaign to stop arming Israel. Find out more and join the Facebook event.

Tuesday 5th September: No Faith in War

Faith groups of all kinds will come together for a day of worship and nonviolent action against the arms trade and war profiteering. From holding services in the road to bearing witness, they will be coming together to say ‘no faith in war!’ Find out how you and your faith group can get involved and join the Facebook event.

Wednesday 6th September: No to Nuclear

Nuclear weapons don’t make us safer: they threaten all our lives. Trident is estimated to cost the UK over £205 billion and is draining vital public resources away from the things in which we really need to invest: schools, hospitals and social services. On the Wednesday, join a day of creative direct action against nuclear weapons companies. Find out more and join the Facebook event.

Wednesday 6th September: Arms to Renewables

Shifting priorities from Arms to Renewables could produce more jobs than the entire arms industry. The Arms to Renewables team will campaigning alongside No to Nuclear activists to call for jobs which create a safer, rather than a more dangerous world. There will be a variety of fun filled activities you can join: help build a turbine, be part of a wave, sit in a on-site workshop and get to work on turbine models and more! Find out more and join the Facebook event. 

Thursday 7th September: Free Movement for People, not Weapons!

The arms and security industry profits from a cycle of repression and violence which marks all our lives, from fuelling conflicts and state oppression with weapons to policing national borders and criminalising migrants and other vulnerable communities. But our resistance is powerful. Join us as we make links between the issues to build solidarity without their borders. Find out more and join the Facebook event.

Friday 8th September: Conference at the Gates

The military and the arms trade plan in increasingly significant role in universities and schools. As government funding is drained from universities, the arms trade and the military are moving in. On the Friday, academics, students and other will come together for a day of workshops and panel discussions exploring the militarisation of our education; and this will take place at the gates of one of the world’s largest arms fairs.

Saturday 9th September: Big Day of Action

The week of action will culminate in the Big Day of Action on Saturday, a colourful and powerful carnival of resistance, with music, art, drama and creative action to celebrate our movement. But we need you to make it as big as it can be. Come and celebrate a successful week of action, and help cause havoc for the arms fair’s organisers.

Use your creativity with Art the Arms Fair to make the DSEI arms fair visible.

Sunday 10th September: War Stops Here: Public Education Day on the Arms Trade

War Resisters’ International will be bringing activists from across the world to London, including from those countries where the repercussions of the weapons marketed at DSEI will be felt, to share their work resisting the arms trade. There will be talks and workshops on campaign strategy, nonviolent direct action, creative campaigning and using legal mechanisms to disrupt the flow of arms to conflict zones. Find out more and join the Facebook event.

Monday 11th September: Candlelit Vigil

On the eve of the arms fair, a silent, candlelit vigil will be held in solidarity with victims of the arms trade. Bring signs, banners, candles and jars – this is a very windy area! Find out more. All are welcome!

All week: Occupy the Arms Fair camp

Alongside the themed days of action, there will be a tent based occupation running from Monday 4th to Sunday 10th September. Find out more and like Occupy the Arms Fair on Facebook for updates.

If you’d like to join us in shutting down the arms fair you can follow the links above to find out how to get involved with any of the actions that are already being planned. But there are also plenty of other ways in which you can get involved from action support to getting creative to mobilising locally. Take a look at our home page for more information.

For a full list of actions planned, see our events page for more ways you can get stuck in!

War, repression and injustice start here. But so does our resistance. Let’s stop them here. #stopDSEI #stopthearmsfair

When going on any protest, it is important that you know your rights. Information here.

Want to get planning?

Find out more about planning your own action here.

Want to get your hands on posters and flyers?

Email info(at)stopthearmsfair*org*uk for posters and flyers.