Hundreds of protesters are expected to gather outside the DSEI arms fair in London's Docklands this week, objecting to the presence of 51 Israeli arms manufacturers among the 1,600 exhibitors. The Campaign Against Arms Trade (Caat) has accused the UK government of reaching 'peak complicity in genocide' by allowing these firms to participate.
Israel's three largest arms companies—Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)—are all scheduled to attend, despite the UK barring an Israeli government delegation last month. Emily Apple, Caat's media coordinator, stated that permitting these companies to exhibit allows them to market 'genocide-tested weapons' to international buyers.
The protests are expected to peak on Tuesday morning as the fair opens, with organisers estimating between 500 and 1,000 demonstrators. 'I've never seen this level of interest in anti-arms trade protests,' Apple said. The event is the first since Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, and policing is expected to be intensive, with ten arrests at the last DSEI in 2023 costing nearly £2 million.
Also exhibiting is Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the F-35 fighter jet used by Israel in Gaza. Although the UK has halted most arms exports to Israel, it continues to supply components for the F-35, which Caat estimates has seen £572 million in UK spare parts supplied to Israel since 2016.
Defence Secretary John Healey is expected to speak at the fair, where he will also launch a new defence industrial strategy. The strategy includes a £250 million fund for defence growth deals and £182 million for technical colleges, aiming to boost the sector and create jobs.
