More than 100 groups are now mobilising to shut down the UK’s largest arms fair

A coalition of over 100 grassroots organisations and activist groups will converge on the ExCeL Centre on September 9 for ‘The Big One‘. The mass protest action is taking place on the first day of the returning Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair. The coalition includes a large number of pro-Palestine organisations, as well as climate, anti-imperialist, and social justice groups aiming to “Shut DSEI Down”.

DSEI: The Big One to shut down the UK’s biggest arms fair

DSEI is the UK’s largest arms fair hosted every two years at the Newham centre. It is a highly attended international event for the trade of military technology and weapons. This year, over 45,000 attendees representing over 90 countries and over 1600 exhibitors are planning to attend.

Organisers anticipate it being the largest in years. A recent report showed a 59% increase in attendance at the earlier DSEI Japan 2025 from 2023’s event. It reflects the current heavy escalation in the militarisation of international relations.

The coalition denounces the role of DSEI in the international arms trade and war. It is also calling out the presence of an Israeli country pavilion. Moreover, numerous Israeli, British, and international defence companies known for their continuous complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza will be in attendance.

This includes infamous firms such as Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. The company is the supplier of the Hermes killer drones Israel has deployed on civilian Palestinian populations. There’s also BAE Systems, Britain’s key partner in the manufacture of components for the F-35 fighter jets Israel is using to drop 2000lb bombs on children in Gaza. American war technologist L3 Harris has also confirmed it will attend the fair.

ExCel must put a permanent stop to DSEI

The coalition calls on the ExCeL Centre to stop hosting DSEI permanently. It also urges the UK government to impose a total arms and energy embargo on Israel. This would entail the end the trade of military technology, as well as fuel supplies with the country. The group also calls on the Labour Party to abandon its planned £2bn contract with Elbit Systems aimed at training British soldiers, as revealed last week.

A spokesperson for the coalition stated:

This year, Israeli weapons companies – complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza – will exhibit genocide-tested weapons to British and international buyers. Meanwhile, the world faces multiple genocides, from Gaza to Sudan and the DRC, alongside escalating ecological collapse.

The UK government continues to fund war over welfare, investing billions in militarisation amid a devastating cost-of-living crisis and ecological collapse. Hunger-driven A&E admissions are rising, yet public funds flow to arms companies like Elbit, which profits from Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

Featured image via CAAT