Last September, students, academics and activists from around the world travelled to East London to protest one of the largest arms fairs in the world. One of the (many!) events during the week of protests was Conference at the Gates; an academic action against the arms fair. Below is the open letter which supported the action, originally posted on The Disorder of Things.
Last September, about 1500 weapons manufacturers and representatives of more than 100 states descended on London for Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) – the world’s largest arms fair. The companies have exhibited products ranging from crowd control equipment and ammunition to fighter jets and military vehicles, which they displayed to militaries, police forces and border agencies from around the world. DSEI is a major event for the international arms trade, and the deals done there play a major role in reinforcing Western militarism, fuelling conflict, repressing dissent and strengthening authoritarian regimes.
Last September, the Stop the Arms Fair coalition held a week of action in an attempt to prevent the arms fair from taking place. Anti-militarist groups, working in solidarity with activists from countries which have suffered the brutal consequences of the arms trade, held a series of events to disrupt the setup of DSEI. One event during this week was ‘Conference at the Gates’, an academic conference held in front of the arms fair, where participants debated ideas about militarism while taking action to resist it.
We support this week of action and Conference at the Gates, and call on the UK government to end its support for DSEI. As academics working on topics related to war, conflict, security, human rights, and international relations, we are opposed to the presence of this arms fair in London, and to the substantial support provided by the UK government to make it happen. It is wrong to argue, as the government does, that the arms trade contributes to security – it fuels conflict, facilitates repression, and makes the world a more dangerous place. In a world of complex challenges militarism should be regarded as part of the problem, not the solution.
Signed by,
Professor Sara Ahmed, Independent
Professor Nadje Al-Ali, SOAS
Professor Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley
Professor Boaventura de Sousa Santos, University of Coimbra
Professor Lisa Duggan, New York University
Professor Cynthia Enloe, Clark University
Professor Arturo Escobar, University of North Carolina
Professor Lewis Gordon, Global Centre for Advanced Study; UCONN-Storrs; Rhodes University
Professor David Graeber, LSE
Professor Derek Gregory, University of British Colombia
Professor John Holloway, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla
Professor Richard Jackson, University of Otago
Professor Laleh Khalili, SOAS, University of London
Professor Saskia Sassen, Colombia University, New York
Professor Vron Ware, Kingston University
Siân Addicott, Swansea College of Art
Dr Linda Åhäll, Keele University
Dr Kirsten Ainley, LSE
Hilary Aked, University of Bath
Simona Alexandra, Demilitarise King’s
Mehmet Ali, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Dr Jamie Allinson, University of Edinburgh
James Angel, King’s College London
Dr Leonie Ansems de Vries, King’s College London
Dr Claudia Aradau, King’s College London
Dr Gordon Asher, University of the West of Scotland
Dr Grietje Baars, City University of London
Dr Catherine Baker, University of Hull
Professor Mona Baker, University of Manchester
Dr Sita Balani, King’s College London
Dr Victoria Basham, Cardiff University
Mareike Beck, University of Sussex
Dr Laurie Benson, King’s College London
Professor G. K. Bhambra, University of Warwick
Jon Bigger, Loughborough University
Dr Ira Bliatka, Independent
Professor Lindsey Blumell, City University London
Dr Shannon Brincat, Griffith University
Dr Maria Brock, Södertörn University College
Dr Christopher Browning, University of Warwick
Dr Ian Bruff, University of Manchester
Mirjam Büdenbender, KU Leuven
Dr Sarah Bulmer, University of Exeter
Olimpia Burchiellaro, University of Westminster
Dr Rosalind Carr, University of East London
Dr Veronique Chance, Anglia Ruskin University
Dr Catherine Charrett, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Simon Choat, Kingston University
Dr Alex Christoyannopoulos, Loughborough University
Dr Chris Clarke, University of Warwick
Rosalie Clarke, NTU
Dr Thomas Clément Mercier, King’s College London
Professor Cynthia Cockburn, Retired
Lydia Cole, Aberystwyth University
Sam Cook, University of California, Santa Cruz
Amy Cooper, Birkbeck, University of London
Amy Corcoran, Queen Mary University of London
Clare Coultas, LSE
Thomas Cowan, King’s College London
Dr Ruth Craggs, King’s College London
Dr Rhys Crilley, University of Warwick
Dr Giran A. Cutanda, University of Granada
Ida Danewid, LSE
Kelcy Davenport, Anglia Ruskin University
Lou Dear, University of Glasgow
Dr Carl Death, University of Manchester
Dr Maria del Carmen Garcia Alonso, University of Kent
Dr Helen Dexter, The University of Leicester
Sam Donaldson, Solidarity
Jack Doyle, University of Oxford
Dr Synne Dyvik, University of Sussex
Elizabeth Eade, Brighton University
Dr Cassie Earl, University of Bristol
Dr James Eastwood, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Nathan Eisenstadt, University of Bristol
Dr Emmy Eklundh, King’s College London
Professor Miriam Estrada-Castillo, United Nations University for Peace
Catrin Evans, University of Glasgow
Dr Jonathan Evershed, Queen’s University Belfast
Syada Fatima Dastagir, Birkbeck, University of London
Adam Ferhani, University of Sheffield
Peter Finn, Kingston University
Kathrin Fischer, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Adam Fishwick, De Montfort University
Matthew Flinders, UCL
Dr Ludovic Foster, Independent
Dr Maria Fotou, University of Leicester
Guillaume Foulquie, University of Worcester
Dr Sylvia C. Frain, University of Otago & University of Guam
Dr Lola Frost, War Studies, King’s College London
Dr Sol Gamsu, University of Bath
Santiago García de Leaniz, EFA European Film Academy
Craig Gent, University of Warwick
Dr Jill Gibbon, Leeds Beckett University
Professor Emily Gilbert, University of Toronto
Dr Ciaran Gillespie, University of Surrey
Dr Rebecca Gould, University of Bristol
Leslie Gonzalez, University of Bristol
Dr Uri Gordon, University of Nottingham
Chloe Gott, University of Kent
Dr Sofa Gradin, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Harriet Gray, University of Gothenburg
Savannah Green, University of York
A Gregg, Independent
Dr Thomas Gregory, University of Auckland
Dr Mark Griffiths, Northumbria University
Dr Sandy Hager, City University of London
Jo Hague, Independent
Joseph Haigh, University of Warwick
Professor Janet Hargreaves, University of Huddersfield
Dr Sophie Harman, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Jason Hart, University of Bath
Dr Lou Harvey, University of Leeds
Dr Susanna Hast, University of Helsinki
Josefin Hedlund, King’s College London
Sita Hidayah, University of Freiburg
Dr Andy Higginbottom, Kingston University
Dr Peter Hill, Christ Church, University of Oxford
Dr Michael Hirsch, STFC
Dr Aggie Hirst, Kings College London
Jennifer Hobbs, University of Manchester
Dr Stephen Hobden, University of East London
Professor Jana Hoenke, University of Groningen
Dr Alison Howell, Rutgers University
Professor Jef Huysmans, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Marta Iñiguez de Heredia, Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals
Cody Jackson, Texas Women’s University
Louisa Jane Di Felice, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Professor Christina Jarvis, State University of New York
Dr Jamie M. Johnson, University of Leicester
Dr Katharina Karcher, University of Cambridge
Dr Oliver Kearns, Independent
Dr Paul Kelemen, University of Manchester
Margareta Kern, University of the Arts London
Professor Ruth Kinna, Loughborough University
Dr Paul Kirby, University of Sussex
Dr Sara Koopman, Kent State University
Dr Daniela Lai, UCL
Imane Lauraux, Independent
Dr Andrew Law, Newcastle University
Dr Sophie Lewis, University of Manchester
Matheus Lock Santos, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Matt Lee, Free University Brighton
Iris Loukopoulos, TansActional Athens
Dr Paulette Luff, Anglia Ruskin University
Julian Mair, MCI Management Centre
Dr Nivi Manchanda, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Tracy Marafiote, State University of New York
Professor Luke Martell, University of Sussex
Dr Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta, University of Cambridge
Nicholas Martindale, University of Oxford
Dr Rachel Massey, University of Manchester
Dr Cristina Masters, University of Manchester
Dr Lauren McCarthy, Royal Holloway University of London
Dr Trevor McCrisken, University of Warwick
Dr Kevin McSorley, University of Portsmouth
Dr John McTague, University of Bristol
Angus McNelly, Queen Mary University of London
Rasika Meena Kaushik, Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Dr Akanksha Mehta, University of Sussex
Dr Isabel Meier, University of East London
Dr Katharine Millar, LSE
Colin Millen, Campaign for Unity in Practice and Self-Governance
Amanda Mills, London College of Communication
Dr Laura Mills, University of St Andrews
Dr Lara Montesinos Coleman, University of Sussex
Lena Moore, University of Cambridge
Dr Dalia Mostafa, University of Manchester
Professor Josepa Munoz, Artist
Professor Peter Newell, University of Sussex
Dr Marijn Nieuwenhuis, University of Warwick
Dr Kerem Nisancioglu, SOAS, University of London
Dr Jonna Nyman, University of Sheffield
Dr Ronan O’Callaghan, University of Central Lancashire
Dr Kieran Oberman, Edinburgh University
Dr Louiza Odysseos, University of Sussex
Sofia Olsson, University of Brighton
Dr Ajay Parasram, Dalhousie University
Dr Owen Parker, University of Sheffield
Dr Katy Parry, University of Leeds
Dr Ruth Pearce, University of Leeds
Hazel Perry, Anarchist Studies Network
Dr Simon Philpott, Newcastle University
Dr Veronique Pin-Fat, University of Manchester
Dr Nicola Pratt, University of Warwick
Dr Kandida Purnell, University of Aberdeen
Nat Raha, University of Sussex
Sanaz Raji, Unis Resist Border Controls
Dr Elisa Randazzo, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Rahul Rao, SOAS University of London
George Renshaw, Reading University
Dr Matthew Rech, Plymouth University
Henry Redwood, King’s College London
Anastasia Siniori, Westminster University
Professor Dee Reynolds, University of Manchester
Hannah Richter, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Melanie Richter-Montpetit, University of Sheffield
Dr Judith Roads, Retired
Professor Bruce Robbins, Columbia University
Dr Roberto Roccu, King’s College London
Dr Chris Rossdale, LSE
Professor Eugene E. Ruyle, California State University, Long Beach
Dr Caitlin Ryan, University of Groningen
Dr Myriam Salama-Carr, University of Manchester
Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins, University of Warwick
Paschal Somers, Coventry Justice and Peace Group
Neil Stamper, Wordpower
Lucy Stroud, Aberdeen University
Professor Paulette Swartzfager, Rochester Institute of Technology
Dr Thomas Swann, Loughborough University
Dr Meera Sabaratnam, SOAS, University of London
Dr Elke Schwarz, University of Leicester
Professor Lynne Segal, Birkbeck, University of London
Rasha Shaheen, Academy of Contemporary Music
Dr Laura J. Shepherd, UNSW Sydney
Dr Jonathan Silver, Sheffield University
Dr Tom Smith, University of Portsmouth
Dr Nick Srnicek, King’s College London
Dr Liam Stanley, University of Sheffield
Dr Anna Stavrianakis, University of Sussex
Dr Maurice Stierl, University of California Davis
Dr Henrique Tavares Furtado, University of the West of England
Dr Nicholas Taylor, Goldsmiths, University of London
Sahra Taylor, City, University of London
Diana Teggi, University of Bath
Dr Lasse Thomassen, Queen Mary University of London
Professor Charles Thorpe, University of California, San Diego
Dr Joanna Tidy, University of Sheffield
Dr Lisa Tilley, University of Warwick
Dave Tinham, Kingston University
Dr Rebecca Tipton, University of Manchester
Dr Alen Toplisek, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Cornelis van der Haven, Ghent University
Mijke van der Drift, Goldsmiths, University of London
Sara Van Goozen, University of Manchester
Tom Vaughan, Aberystwyth University
Professor Stellan Vinthagen, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Eliana Voutsadakis, London Southbank University
Dr Dereck Wall, Goldsmiths College
Dr David Wearing, Royal Holloway University of London
Alister Wedderburn, King’s College London/Australian National University
Dr Julia Welland, University of Warwick
Dr Ben Whitham, De Montfort University
Professor Annick Wibben, University of San Francisco
Dr Jeremy Wildeman, University of Bath
Dr Joanie Willett, University of Exeter
Dr Al Williams, Rewilding Wales
Dr Elisa Wynne-Hughes, Cardiff University
Jakub Zahora, Charles University, Prague
Dr Chris Zebrowski, Loughborough University
Cross posted from The Disorder of Things
