Category: 2025

As we ground ourselves spiritually for our witness, it’s important to remember that will we be witnessing alongside people of all faiths and none, and are asked to uphold one another in a diversity of non-violent tactics.

On the day, we will have bustcards available, and legal observers will be on hand, as well as volunteer stewards.  However we all need to take responsibility for ourselves. We recommend having a buddy or buddies – a person or two who you will mutually check-in with and look out for each other.

Finally, a reminder that we are a volunteer-led community, and your help will make all the difference in ensuring our witness is safe, spiritually grounded, and creative.

Key Know Your Rights messages:

• No Comment – You do not need to answer police questions, so don’t.
• No Personal Details – You do not have to give personal details under ANY stop and search power, so don’t.
• Under What Power? – Ask “What power?” to challenge the police to act lawfully
• No Duty Solicitor – Use a recommended solicitor with protest experience
• No Caution – Cautions are an admission of guilt

Important update about No Faith in War Tues 9th Sept

We understand that on 9th September, a coalition of groups under the banner ‘the Big One’ are calling for a mass blockade of DSEI.  The faith groups involved in No Faith in War have agreed to continue with our plans, offering a grounded and worshipful presence and upholding people who are taking risks to disrupt DSEI.

It is important for Friends to be aware that there may be a tense atmosphere on the day, and a more active police presence.  We encourage everyone to to remind yourself of key advice about your rights, and to take time to reflect on the level of risk that you want to take. 

We do not anticipate ‘the Big One’ to affect our Walk of Witness or the Peace Vigil organised by QPSW and Pax Christi, both on Mon 8th, nor our ‘Stop DSEI’ hand-in on Weds 10th.  But it is still worth reminding yourself of your rights and looking out for yourself and others, if you plan to join one of these actions.

We are a volunteer-led community, and your help will make all the difference in ensuring our witness is safe, spiritually grounded, and creative.

Quaker Roots are particularly organising volunteers for the Walk of Witness on Mon 8th Sept, the No Faith in War day on Tues 9th Sept and the ‘Stop DSEI’ hand-in on Weds 10th Sept. Use this form to let us know what roles you are interested in, and we will be in touch with more information and details of an online volunteer briefing on Tues 2nd Sept (you can still volunteer if you can’t make that briefing date).

If you would like to help out on other days, get in touch with Stop the Arms Fair who are helping coordinate actions.

Use this form to let us know what roles you are interested in, and we will be in touch with more information and a briefing session.

Steward

• Being a friendly face as people arrive.
• Let people know when & where things are happening.
• Help Friends join Telegram group to get updates.
• Hand out bustcards, remind people of basic Know Your Rights info, point towards legal observers if needed.
• Have some postcards for members of the public who want to know what’s going on, engage them in conversation about DSEI.
• On Walk of Witness on Mon 8th, help people stick to route, keep up with group.

Offer to help as a steward.

Pastoral Friend / welfare

• Potentially tense environment, people nervous about being there – talk to them, calm them, make them feel at ease.
• Reassurance, give space for people to talk or have some quiet.
• Give out water and snacks, encourage people to check-in with their own needs.
• If you are a qualified first aider – be on hand.

Offer to help as a pastoral Friend

Elder

• Meeting for Worship – 12pm Tues 9th Sept – uphold, explain at beginning, close at end, be aware that we may be continuing to worshipfully uphold people taking action.
• General upholding of worshipful approach to protest across No Faith in war day, atmosphere may be tense, secular activists may be unfamiliar with worshipful approach.
• Uphold & respect other faith groups taking action in their own tradition, and people of all faiths and none using a diversity of non-violent tactics.
• On Walk of Witness on 8th Sept, uphold silent vigils (approx. 20 mins) at each stop.

Offer to help as an Elder

Police Station Support

While Quaker Roots are planning low-risk actions this year, we uphold those using a diversity of non-violent tactics, including those who may be at risk of arrest. It is so important that we support arrestees, which includes meeting people at the police station when they’re released. Read more about what Police Station Support involves.

This would be an especially useful role for London-based Friends (you don’t need to have been at the protest to help with this role, or be specially trained). Call outs for police station support during the DSEI arms fair protests will happen in a messaging group – offer help via our form and we will put you in touch with those coordinating.

Offer to help with Police Station Support

Stop the Arms Fair (STAF) have coordinated Legal Observers this year. The priority at the moment is volunteers for Police Station Support, but if you are a trained LO and would like to observe, let us know via the form.

Creative actions

• Singing – we have songs we’ve used in previous years, or bring your own. QPSW will organise amplification, someone to help lead us will be helpful.
• Helping with banner-making, origami and paper lanterns (led by Friends House staff).
• Photos, videos or other ways to document the actions.

Read more about creative actions.

As we prepare to witness against the DSEI arms fair this September, there are opportunities to get creative – whether you are able to join us in London, or will be witnessing from where you are.

Friends can participate by creating :

• banners with messages of peace and against arms; 
• paper lanterns (to symbolise shining a light on the arms trade);
• origami hearts that can be given to arms dealers and members of the public;
• leading (or joining in with) singing! 

Banners

Create a banner with messages of peace, and/or highlighting why we oppose the arms trade. Keep it short and simple, use words or images. Banners can be any size or shape (unlike in previous years where we asked for a specific size of mini banner). Just make sure it’s something that you (and/or whoever you are travelling with) can carry yourselves.

Paper Lanterns

These will be particularly used on the walk of witness, where we aim to bring the arms fair into the Light, as we walk together to the headquarters of arms companies involved in the trade of violence and death. A simple family-friendly craft – follow the video below for instructions:

Origami Hearts

This is a simple heart design, suitable for beginners. The heart has two flaps that open, and a message of peace can be written on the inside. These can be given to members of the public on the Walk of Witness (we will also have leaflets) or arms dealers as they queue to enter the arms fair on the No Faith in War day.

Singing

There is also an opportunity to lead some singing – we have some well-loved songs that have been shared at previous actions, and just need someone confident to get us started – if you are interested please email hello@quaker-roots.org.uk

If you are not confident to lead the singing, have a listen to some of the songs, and get ready to join in. As the wonderful Margaret who has led us in the past says: when we all sing together, it doesn’t matter if each individual isn’t perfect, the combination of our voices will make a beautiful sound.

Ways to join in

Friends who cannot join in-person in September can post their creations, so that your message of peace will be at DSEI, while you witness from wherever you are.  Creations can be sent to QPSW at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ marked for the attention of Lyndsay Burtonshaw .

Those who are travelling down might like to do a creative activity together with your Meeting, and bring what you have made along.  This could make a nice activity for a children’s meeting too.

There will also be an opportunity for crafting at Westminster Meeting House ahead of the Walk of Witness, and (weather permitting) at the West Gate of the Excel centre on the No Faith in War day.