The DSEI arms fair was held at the ExCel centre in Newham this week and attracted protests
The Met Police has rejected claims of “aggressive” conduct after footage emerged of scuffles between officers and protesters at this week’s Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London.
The controversial four-day exhibition, which concluded on Friday, was the site of mass demonstrations due to the presence of more than 50 Israeli arms firms. The fair, which took place at ExCel London in Newham, attracted military buyers and defence contractors from across the world.
Although the UK government banned Israeli officials, defence companies such as Elbit Systems, Rafael, IAI and Uvision were able to attend.
On Tuesday, the opening day of DSEI, police were seen confronting protesters in encounters that got physical, according to witnesses.
Zoë Garbett, Green Party London Assembly Member, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “What happened at the opening of the DSEI arms fair on September 9 was a disgrace.
“While police shielded arms dealers, they treated Londoners protesting this abhorrent event with aggressive behaviour, pushing people around and causing injuries, with one person taken off on a stretcher.
“The Met’s approach that day reflects a wider crackdown and over-policing of protest, marked by aggressive tactics and a state increasingly hostile to dissent. As a Green Party London Assembly Member, I will continue to hold the Met to account and fight to protect the right to protest in our city.”
The Met Police said they made three arrests for assaults on police officers during the four days of protests.
The presence of DSEI in London has long been opposed by anti-war activists, the Green Party and the Mayor of London, who last week said he was “appalled that the capital is being used as a marketplace for those who wish to trade in weapons”.
Caroline Russell, Green Party London Assembly Member and Leader of the Green Group on the Assembly, told the LDRS: “I joined Londoners this week because, like everyone else who came, I refuse to stay silent while our city plays host to the weapons that fuel global suffering.
“While we watch a live genocide unfold on our screens, the very weapons responsible for flattening Gaza and killing thousands were openly exhibited. Among them were [components for] cluster munitions that are banned under international law. How can our city allow such instruments of indiscriminate destruction to be showcased here? This fair has no place in our city.”
Green Party MP Sian Berry, a former member of the London Assembly, said she found “a component for cluster munitions, banned under international law, on full display” when visiting the fair.
She added: “These vile weapons should never be peddled in the UK.”
On Friday the Campaign Against Arms Trade organisation made a criminal complaint to the Met Police War Crimes Unit about the presence of individuals at DSEI who they said were “aiding and abetting Israel’s war crimes in Gaza”.
A spokesperson said: “These are the arms companies arming the IDF. These are the arms companies facilitating and profiting from Israel bombing hospitals, killing journalists and creating a man-made famine. UK law is clear – these individuals should be investigated for crimes against humanity, not invited to profit from the unspeakable devastation they have caused in Gaza.”
A Met Police spokesperson said: “There have been three arrests so far in the vicinity of the ExCel Centre. All three arrests were for assaults on police officers. One of those arrested was also arrested on suspicion of obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duty. Fortunately, none of the officers who were assaulted sustained serious injuries.”
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