On Satruday 9 September 2017, two days prior to the opening of the DSEI arms fair, hundreds of protesters, angry at the vast extent of British military exports to murderous dictatorial regimes including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Turkey, gathered outside the main road entrance to the venue at Excel in East London. The weapons, aircraft and security equipment exhibited at such events are used by all these governments to repress their own people or their weaker neighbours such as the Yemenis and the Kurds.

According to a Guardian report published on 10 September 2017 "UK arms manufacturers have exported almost £5bn worth of weapons to countries that are judged to have repressive regimes in the (last) 22 months."

Research by Campaign Against the Arms Trade (caat.org.uk) shows that of 49 countries categorised as not free by the US based human rights organisation Freedom House, 36 have purchased weapons from the current British government - including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Venezuela and China.

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