‘No Faith in War’ 3rd Sept 2019 – the Quaker response to the DSEI arms fair
Two Friends from Street Meeting joined over 700 Quakers and members of other faiths to protest against the world’s largest arms fair. Defence and Security Equipment International brings together arms dealers and military delegations from all over the world at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands. The Quaker action was organised by Roots of Resistance, a network of Quakers aiming to make a radical response to the arms trade. The ‘No Faith in War’ day of action on Tuesday 3rd September was part of a week of protests aiming to hinder the setting-up of the arms fair, which runs from Monday 9th to Thursday 12th September.
Sheila James and Mary Gryspeerdt arrived in London by coach from Glastonbury and made our way across London, arriving at the ExCel at noon. We were bearing the mini banners we had been invited to make for hanging around the site of the protest. Having attached our banners to suitable railings along the road leading to the east gate, we were able to meet and renew acquaintance with many other Quakers. Sheila caught up with several Friends from Wanstead Meeting, where she was a Member before coming to Somerset. We also enjoyed seeing a great many striking banners representing different meetings, which inevitably gave us creative inspiration for a Mid Somerset AM banner in due course.
For about nine hours the protest succeeded in bringing to a halt the passage of lorries through the east gate to the Centre. This involved Quakers and different faith groups (including Muslims, Buddhists, Anglicans and Catholics) holding prayers, singing and chanting in the middle of the road. There were two Quaker Meetings for Worship during the day and we were able to join the afternoon Meeting. Although there was a very heavy police presence, initially the officers respected the Meeting and remained on the fringes.
It was a very moving experience to sit with so many Quakers on the hard tarmac of the road, the silence occasionally broken by the roar of planes from London City Airport taking off overhead. The ministry was deeply heartfelt - emphasising our Quaker peace testimony and the inhumanity of the arms trade. However after half an hour, our worship was unexpectedly broken by a senior police officer announcing by loudspeaker that we would be arrested if we did not move out of the road. The police in their luminous yellow jackets
moved in among the worshippers and dozens of arrests were subsequently made (around 50 in total), the protesters either walking quietly or being carried to the police vans. It remains to be seen whether those arrested will face charges.
moved in among the worshippers and dozens of arrests were subsequently made (around 50 in total), the protesters either walking quietly or being carried to the police vans. It remains to be seen whether those arrested will face charges.
Having decided that we did not wish to be arrested (!), we made our way back along the road towards the underground, only to find that the police were blocking our route and we with many other protesters were effectively being ‘kettled’! This seemed a pointless exercise when we were quietly heading home and luckily after some persuasion we were allowed to cross the road one at a time. We were pleased to be on our way home and even enjoyed a relaxing boat ride on the Thames from North Greenwich to Embankment and then back to our coach to Somerset.
It was a long day, but we were really glad to have joined so many other Quakers in witnessing our testimony to peace.
Words and images courtesy of Mary Gryspeerdt.