This entry was posted on
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at
10:37 am and is filed
under The War on Stupid.

Comment Is Free – Guarding the gunrunners: In recent weeks, horrifying reports of gun crime have, understandably, been increasing the fear of guns among the British public. Next week, the Metropolitan police will also have guns on their minds. They will be guarding people selling them. From September 11-14, about 1,000 officers per day will be policing Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI), one of the world’s largest arms fairs. It will take place at the Excel Centre in east London, with more than 1,000 arms companies selling weapons ranging from handguns to fighter jets. When DSEI was last held, it cost taxpayers over £4m in policing costs.

And yet, for some reason, the police seem determined to prevent the sale of this single tank.

Well done to the Space Hijackers and Artists Anonymous for highlighting this hypocrisy without so much as taking a bid on their new toy.

[Declaration of Interest: I am 0.16% responsible for the relevant funding.]

UPDATE – Indymedia: 14:10: After negotiating a planned route with the police the Space Hijackers Tank finally moved off, but has now been stopped after advancing only around 10 yards. A police officer has just said that they intend to carry out a vehicle check on the tank and may also search the 9 or so occupants of the tank – he estimated this could take up to an hour.

But wait… what’s this?

Report from tank TWO – yes the other was a decoy!

Heh. You gotta love the Space Hijackers.

UPDATE – Indymedia: 15:10 The second tank has now been driven off the low loader and has approached the West gate of DSEi where it has parked blocking the mini roundabout entrance. The turret is facing the arms fair, music is blasting out and a ‘For Sale’ sign has been hung on the side.

Hahahahahahahaha! Oh, I love it. The authorities try to stop one tank and end up looking like hypocrites, but fail to stop the real tank and end up looking like fools to boot.

Oh, and a report is just coming in that police are not moving the tank, but instead plan to erect a barrier around it… and the protestors. Well, the public must be protected, obviously.

Speaking of which….

Ekklesia – Government admits inviting oppressive regimes to arms fair: Information released this morning reveals that the Government has invited a number of oppressive regimes to send representatives to an arms fair in London… China, Libya, Colombia, Russia and Saudi Arabia, all widely criticised for severe human rights abuses, have been invited to the biennial fair run by Reed Elsevier… Iraq has been invited as well as both India and Pakistan, who are in tension with each other.

UPDATE – Hahahaha! The tank sold for the princely sum of $50, which is either a typo, all part of the stunt, or a bargain for someone in the habit of trading in U.S. dollars

:o)

‘Night all.