For sale: one arms fair, motivated seller

By John Hill on April 24, 2008 9:00 AM |

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DOCKLANDS’ controversial arms fair is still up for grabs.

DSEi organiser Reed Elsevier is still talking to interested parties nearly a year after announcing it wanted to sell the international event, which attracts arms traders and governments from around the world to the ExCeL centre every two years. It had hoped to be able to flog the fair by the end of last year.

A spokesman said: “There’s no question of us not selling. It’s just a timing issue.

“We’re committed to getting the maximum value of the fair for shareholders. We’re talking to
interested parties and we’ll make an announcement in due course, but there’s nothing imminent.”

Anti-war protesters were due to gather at the company’s annual general meeting yesterday (April 23), but the Campaign Against Arms Trade denied it was planning any actions.

DSEi is expected to return to Custom House from September 8-11, 2009, despite opposition from residents and politicians. London mayor Ken Livingstone has branded it “a disgrace”, while Newham Council spoke out against its siting in the borough in 2005. The council stopped short of taking direct action.

Shadwell councillor Harun Miah also urged neighbouring Tower Hamlets Council to speak out in a motion at yesterday’s council meeting.

He said: “We want the council to make a pledge to work towards a less violent society.
“It has a responsibility to make the world a peaceful place to live in. This event is happening right next door to the council offices, and to say nothing would be a double standard.”

London Catholic Worker protester Zelda Jeffers is among the protesters committed to stopping the fair.
The 60-year-old was released from Holloway Prison a fortnight ago after being jailed for pouring five litres of red paint onto the Custom House DLR gangway at last year’s event.

She had refused to pay £240 in costs and damages for her action, which represented the “rivers of blood” spilled by the arms trade.

Zelda, a former health worker who saw the consequences of war in Nicaragua and Brazil, said: “Everyone should be concerned about the arms fair. All this has done is strengthen my resolve.”