TRAKNAT supporters will be holding vigils outside the constituency office of Vince Cable MP (2a Lion Road, Twickenham TW1 4JQ), on Friday 6 September 2013 and Friday 13 September 2013 5.30pm – 7pm, to draw attention to his Business Department’s (BIS) sponsorship of the world’s largest arms fair taking place in docklands on 10th to 13th September 2013. It is called the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition (DSEi).

BIS invites delegates from some of the most repressive regimes in the world, including Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were there – each of whom has turned weapons on democracy protesters. Egypt recently used British helicopters against protesters.

Vince Cable’s Department has invited Rosoboronexport the Russian arms exporter that supplies weapons to Assad’s in Syria to the DSEi. See list of exhibitors (listed as Russian Technologies State Corporation).

In recent years, Rosoboronexport has been Syria’s main weapons supplier, accounting for 78% of Syria’s imports of major conventional weapons according to Human Rights Watch (HRW 6.4.2012).

The range of weapons reported to have been sold to Syria includes: missile systems and MiG fighter aircraft (www.sipri.org); armoured vehicles (HRW 6.4.2012); an upgrade of battle tanks (CAST, February 2012); and a shipment of ammunition (Reuters 13.1.12). Source: CAAT.

If you are on Facebook, there is a Facebook event for 13th September which you can share with your friends.

Do come and join us. We call it a vigil because it is not a march, and is quieter than a demonstration.