London merchants of death fair hindered by peace activists

This video is called Stop the Arms Fair protest outside the UK Parliament 12 09 2013 @StopTheArmsFair @CAAT.

Peace activists halt access to DSEI arms fair in east London

Tuesday 8th September 2015

Blair impersonator leads efforts to stop sales to violent regimes

A TONY BLAIR impersonator chained himself to a military vehicle heading into this year’s DSEI arms fair yesterday in protest at Britain’s role in the ”process of creating refugees.”

The stunt was part of a series of direct actions taken this week against the annual arms trade show, which helps strengthen links between British arms dealers and violent regimes such as Bahrain.

Stop the Arms Fair activist Simon Morris said he wore the rubber Blair mask to represent the British government’s “involvement in supplying arms for countries which then create desperate refugees.”

He told the Star: “I was moved by my realisation that the UK is directly involved in a lot of these refugee crises we’ve seen.

“I want to raise consciousness in the British public that our government is a key part of this process of creating refugees.”

Together with dozens of other peace campaigners Mr Morris helped blockade entrances to London’s ExCel exhibition centre for almost three hours.

The protest ended after police threatened blockaders with arrest for obstructing the public highway.

“The refugee crisis is showing us the human cost of war and conflict,” said Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) spokesman Andrew Smith.

“It is shameful that the UK government is rolling out the red carpet for arms dealers and despots — helping to fuel conflict across the world.”

The British government stopped issuing arms licences to Syria in 2011, but as of March this year Britain was still providing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime with body armour and other protective equipment.

And as thousands of Afghans attempted to cross Europe’s borders in search of sanctuary, over £1 million was made by the British government on arms sales to the war-torn country in 2015 alone.

A petition by CAAT and Global Justice Now calling for Prime Minister David Cameron to shut down the DSEI arms fair and invest in welcoming refugees instead garnered over 3,000 signatures in just over 72 hours.