International defense, security fair kicks off in London amid protests

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - The Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition kicked off in the British capital on Tuesday amid a rally by pro-Palestine activists.

The four-day event, taking place at the ExCel center in London, brings together all the pillars of national security and defense, including air, space, land, naval, security, cyber, and joint.

This year’s show features over 1,600 defense and security suppliers from more than 90 countries.

ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, and BMC are among 27 Turkish firms attending the exhibition.

Visiting the stands of Turkish companies at the fair, Türkiye's Ambassador to London, Osman Koray Ertas, told Anadolu that the major geopolitical rupture in the world has made the defense industry not a choice but a necessity.

Meanwhile, a group of people staged a rally outside the venue to protest companies providing arms to Israel.

Carrying Palestinian flags, hundreds of protesters reacted to the exhibition for allowing Israeli companies to attend the event.

Despite the ban on Israel’s official delegation, Israeli arms companies supplying essential weaponry for Israeli attacks in Gaza are attending the exhibition.

Some of the signs, held by protesters, read: "Stop the arms fair," "Stop fueling wars and genocide," and "War criminals this way."

Metropolitan Police said three protesters were arrested during the protest.