Thousands protest Israeli arms firms at London fair, visit by president Herzog

Thousands of protesters have staged two major demonstrations in London, condemning the participation of Israeli arms manufacturers at an arms exhibition and opposing the visit of Israeli president Isaac Herzog amid ongoing genocide in Gaza.

At the the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair held at London’s ExCeL Center, demonstrators confronted police as over 50 Israeli arms companies displayed military equipment alongside 1,600 other exhibitors.

On multiple occasions, officers employed physical force to maintain the cordon around attendees, leading to injuries among several protesters.

One protester was observed lying in a designated cordoned-off area, seemingly unresponsive and restrained in handcuffs, prior to being taken away by paramedics in an ambulance.

Police encircled and detained around 20 protesters, including Buddhist monk Ajahn Santamono, for at least one hour. All but one of the demonstrators were later released without being arrested.

Santamano characterized the event as “obscene” and said that he was “horrified” by the reaction of the police.

“People who contribute to genocide and mass murder are protected and supported, while people of conscience who try to protest this are the ones who are arrested, criminalized and treated with violence,” he said.

DSEI arms exhibition features Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, both of which are owned by the Tel Aviv regime. This is in spite of the UK government’s decision to bar the official Israeli delegation from attending, in light of the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza.

Elbit Systems, the largest Israeli arms manufacturer and producer of a significant portion of the Israeli regime’s drone fleet, has also declared its intention to participate.

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Anna Stavrianakis, a researcher on the global arms trade at Sussex University, termed the DSEI event “war meets business.”

“DSEI is framed as a trade fair – but really it is where state and military interests in war and violence meet corporate interests in selling as much technology as possible.

“It’s really a grand day out for all the arms traders involved. It’s a place where connections are forged, deals are considered, weapons are admired,” she said.

In central London, thousands of people assembled outside the UK prime minister’s office for an “emergency protest” against the visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog, with demands for his arrest upon his arrival later on Tuesday.

The protesters, holding Palestine flags, expressed their criticism towards Prime Minister Keir Starmer for permitting the visit.

The audience denounced Herzog for facilitating and supporting the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians in Gaza and called on the British government to issue an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.

The Israeli head of state is on a three-day trip to London, during which he is expected to meet with Starmer, UK lawmakers, public representatives, and media personnel.

Demonstrators vocally expressed their support for Palestine and condemned the government by shouting: “Keir Starmer, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

They also exhibited several signs to protest Israeli offensives on Gaza, with some participants branding Herzog as the “genocide president.”

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Several British politicians have urged Starmer to refrain from meeting Herzog in light of the ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza, which have resulted in significant suffering.

Numerous British lawmakers have also reached out to the UK premier to convey their apprehension regarding the decision to permit Herzog’s visit to take place.

On Tuesday, independent members of parliament criticized the British government for stating that it has not determined whether Israel is acting with genocidal intent, even in light of the “appalling” suffering experienced by civilians.

In a letter dated September 1 and revealed on Monday night, Foreign Secretary David Lammy - who left the role last Friday and was replaced by Yvette Cooper – said that “the crime of genocide occurs only where there is specific ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.’”

“The government has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent.”

Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed labeled Lammy’s letter as “despicable.”

He said it “confirms that the government does not believe that Palestinians have a right not to be bombed or starved.”

Independent MP Ayoub Khan also argued that Lammy’s reasoning was flawed. “Intent to commit genocide could not be clearer,” he said.

“When Israeli leaders openly state that Gaza will be ‘erased,’ when they declare that ‘no civilians exist in Gaza,’ when ministers call Palestinians ‘human animals,’ and when this rhetoric is followed by the systematic killing of tens of thousands, starvation of children, destruction of hospitals, universities, water systems, and the entire civic fabric of life - the intent is explicit.

“To pretend otherwise is a legal and moral farce,” Khan noted.

The Israeli military has pursued a brutal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, dismissing international appeals for a ceasefire, resulting in the deaths of at least 64,605 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.

The unrelenting airstrikes have ravaged the region and caused significant food shortages.

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