ActorVist Ross Monaghan - Part 2

Trouble at the Arms Fair - directed by, and starring, ActorVist Ross Monaghan

Britain is the second largest arms dealer in the world with exports rising in 2018 to a massive £14bn. Purchases of British weapons by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries in the Middle East accounts for nearly 80% of all sales. Britain also hosts the means for countries to come together to advertise their merchandise and make the necessary trade deals to keep the industry producing and selling. DSEI, Defence & Security Equipment International, is the world's largest arms fair and the event at which buyers from some of the world’s most repressive and tyrannical regimes purchase their weapons of destruction.

The second week of September 2019 was the twentieth anniversary of DSEI. Held every two years, the trade show takes place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company's ExCel centre, London Docklands.

DSEI advertises the weapons trade fair as a "world leading event that connects governments, national armed forces, industry thought leaders and the global defence & security supply chain on an unrivalled scale".

With over 1,600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, including Israel, and approximately 35,000 attendees from around the world DSEI offers "opportunities for networking, a platform for business, access to relevant content & live-action demonstrations". Boasting that "the DSEI community can innovate, share knowledge, discover & experience the latest capabilities across the Aerospace, Land, Naval, Security & Joint domains. DSEI brings together the entire defence and security industry to source the latest equipment and systems, develop international relationships, and generate new business opportunities".

For 20 years anti-war and religious groups have come together to protest the arms fair with a small camp providing food and support set up by activists beside one of the main road entrances to the west of the conference centre. The protests start the week before the opening of the exhibition in attempts to prevent equipment and exhibits entering the centre.

The first of the campers arrive

As one exhibition finishes plans immediately commence to protest the next one. It's a lot of work and a huge amount of effort goes into ensuring that as much disruption through peaceful protest takes place as possible. The arms trade operates in the dark but the high profile opposition shines a light on an industry that profits only from war and death.

In the two years leading up to DSEI 2019 workshops were held, videos produced and social media posts made to raise awareness and encourage people to attend.

The daily protests always have a theme and 2019 was no different.

• Monday 2nd September: Stop Arming Israel

• Tuesday 3rd September: No Faith in War

• Wednesday 4th September: No Nuclear

• Thursday 5th September: Conference at the Gates

• Friday 6th September: Climate Justice

• Saturday 7th September: Festival of Resistance

• Sunday 8th September: Borders & Migration

Vigils are also held to honour all those who have died.

• Monday 9th September: Eve of the Arms Fair Silent Vigil

• Tuesday 10th September: Wreath Laying in Victoria Dock

Between the 3rd and 13th of September an art exhibition was also held, Art at the Arms Fair, to further expose the industry.

We first came across Ross Monaghan in 2017 when he arrived at Maple Farm anti-fracking camp on Preston New Road near Blackpool. At first no one really noticed his passive-aggressive attitude, however, as time went on he began to cause more and more disruption and became very confrontational towards local residents. He also became the subject of one of our blog posts, "A play of two lock-ons & a bit of violence directed by, and starring, ActorVist Ross Monaghan".

Trawling back through Monaghan's Facebook account there is no mention of anything to do with issues in the Middle East, war or arms sales until the 2nd of September 2019 when he shared a video from DSEI with the comment "Big up to my brothers and sisters already at the arms fair". We have news for Mr Monaghan. To our knowledge very few protesters at the arms fair had even heard of him at that time, let alone considered him a brother.

On the 5th of September 2019 Monaghan posted on his Facebook page that he was on his way to DSEI, arriving sometime very early afternoon after having hitched from who knows where. It seems he had no trouble getting a lift!

Things began to quickly unravel for Monaghan when a confrontation occurred a few days after his arrival. On the 9th of September 2019 he posted about his unfortunate experience on Facebook, however as the Green Wash authors discovered what he posted was not quite the truth. It took us some time to track down an activist willing to let us publish the true version of what really happened at DSEI, but eventually our tenacity paid off.

TGWA (The Green Wash Authors):

Can you please tell us a bit about security and policing at DSEI and your involvement with the campaign against the arms fair?

Activist X:

"DSEI happens every two years and I have been camping and protesting there for the first week since 2015, 2019 was my third time. It is the largest arms fair in the world and the policing costs for the two weeks, paid for by DSEI, runs to well over £1 million. We know that coupled with the extra security guards, fencing and other security measures that throwing in a couple of infiltrators to inform the police of what is happening with lock-ons etc will be small change to them, and to be honest we do expect it.

This year I arrived slightly later than usual on the Sunday afternoon and there was already quite a few tents up with people milling around and talking. For those of us who had met at previous DSEI protests it is like meeting up with old friends and we do tend to chat a lot and get to know what has been happening on a personal level since we last met. I erected my tent near to a big blue tent occupied by two activists, one I already knew from 2017, the other I had never met before. In hindsight it was a good move as they had brought a small stove, kettle and tea and coffee making equipment and it became the go to place to congregate. I would like to say because of the position of the tent, you could see everything that was happening around the camping area, but in all honesty it was probably because they would brew up anytime anyone wanted a drink. They also knew a lot of the same people I knew so it was a great place for a catch up at the end of the day."

TGWA:

Can you describe the atmosphere on the camp and are there any rules of conduct?

Activist X:

"It's always mixed emotions, we are trying to shut down the machines of war and DSEI is where it all starts. There is always optimism that this will be the year we finally achieve it, but we also know that the police will do everything possible to stop us. There are no real rules but we do try keep the camping area tidy as the Mayor gives us permission to be there. Two other unspoken principles are we do not gossip about other activists, even if we have history with them, good or bad, and we never talk about any planned actions to people who are not directly involved with them, after all loose lips sink ships. So for me this interview is particularly difficult but having read the post you sent me I have decided to put the record straight"

TGWA:

We understand this is awkward for you however, if you can describe for us the events that led to Monaghan's post and any other events you feel relevant we would be grateful.

Apart from Ross Monaghan all other people involved, either directly or indirectly, will be anonymised.

Activist X:

"Things had been going brilliantly well. Although there was not as many people present as in 2015 or 2017 we were still holding them up, with lock-ons, truck-surfs and blockades at the entrances to the exhibition centre preventing the arms manufacturers getting equipment, guns, bombs, rockets, and instruments of torture and imprisonment into the venue.

At the start of the week there was an awful lot of arrests, including over 50 Quakers on the No Faith In War day who were holding a prayer meeting in the middle of the road.

The atmosphere was confident and everyone was getting along really well, but this changed when Mr Monaghan arrived. I didn't know who he was but was told he was an anti-fracker who did live-streams and photography. There had been another anti-fracker who left just before Mr Monaghan arrived also live-streaming and taking photographs.

The first I knew of any trouble was when Activist A, another regular at DSEI, had gone into the blue tent to speak to the two activists inside. Where I was at the time I could clearly hear, although they were talking quietly, exactly what was being said. Activist A asked Activists B and C if they knew who Mr Monaghan was. They both said yes they had come across him in the anti-fracking movement although they had no meaningful interactions with him. Activist B then asked why, was there a problem?

Activist A was clearly very agitated and started to raise his voice. He informed Activists B and C that Mr Monaghan had been seen sat on a bench behind the play scheme building in the park hidden from roadside view. He was joined by a security guard who had come out of the ExCel centre and walked to the park bench were Mr Monaghan was sat, despite other benches closer to the entrance of the park being empty. A conversation had ensued between the two which could not be overheard, the security guard then left and went back inside the ExCel Centre.

The Activist, who had seen this unfold immediately returned to camp and informed Activist A of what he had seen.

Activist A then asked Activist B to go with him and see if Mr Monaghan was still there; the two left together heading towards the park.

I then heard Activist C say to another Activist (D), that they were a bit worried as Activist A seemed quite agitated and they didn't want any trouble and did Activist D think it was advisable that they should follow to try and keep the peace; Activist C then went running after Activists A and B.

On returning from the park Activists A, B, C then went into the big blue tent where they were joined by Activist D and I overheard them discussing what had happened.

Apparently, on first entering the park, there was no sign of Mr Monaghan but four girls, all staying on camp, came round the corner. A minute or so later Mr Monaghan, by this time on his own, then appeared. I gathered from the conversation it was at this point Activist A asked him to explain what on earth he was doing talking to a security guard. Mr Monaghan said he had no problem sitting and talking to a security guard. A heated argument had then ensued with Mr Monaghan goading Activist A, saying repeatedly go on then hit me, hit me, which had, apparently, inflamed the situation even further. In hindsight I feel this could have been to deflect attention away from the awkward conversation about the security guard and to provoke violence. I have no doubt this would have led to Mr Monaghan making a complaint to the police with the result the three would have been arrested and bailed away.

Activist D informed the other three he had heard of Mr Monaghan prior to coming to DSEI and that he was suspected by activists in campaigns, other than anti-fracking, of being undercover. I learned after this incident, as by now quite a few of us on camp were aware of what had gone on, that the majority of the rest of the camp, who had never heard of Mr Monaghan before, also had suspicions about him. His behaviour was at best very strange and not that of a typical activist. Mr Monaghan had, unusually, become the talk of the camp.

An agreement was reached between the four of them that, in the interest of the camp, nothing more would be said about the incident and no further action would be taken, however he would be closely watched. Another person (Activist E), unknown to the majority of us, arrived at the camp site and joined our group outside the tent. As Mr Monaghan walked past the tents Activist E said "there is my good friend Ross", shouted a greeting to him and went to gave him a hug. At the time Mr Monaghan was facing our group and I could clearly see he was describing what had just happened. Activist E then came back and rejoined us where he confronted Activist C about what had happened with Mr Monaghan. Activist C responded that it was all sorted and that nothing further was going to happen regarding the incident other than an apology would be made for the good of the camp. Activist E became defensive on his friends behalf saying he had met all his family and could also vouch for him from previous actions they had both been involved in.

[The Green Wash authors have been informed by someone who knows Monaghan quite well that he had told them he had been disowned by his family because they did not approve of his activism. However, we can neither dispute nor confirm Activist E's claim, or the allegation that Mr Monaghan's family do not speak to him.]

Sometime later I was lying down in my tent when Activist A and Mr Monaghan struck up a conversation close by. I heard Mr Monaghan accuse Activists B and C of spreading malicious rumours and lies about him. Activist A refuted the accusations levied against Activists B and C and said neither had spoken to him about Mr Monaghan prior to the incident in the park. Mr Monaghan then proceeded to ask why Activist A had chosen to speak to those two in particular. Activist A explained it was because the two were well known and trusted that he had chosen to speak with them.

Activist A apologised to Mr Monaghan and the two shook hands.

The following day two further events took place that unsettled the camp even further. The whole atmosphere changed and divisions began to arise as people started to be suspicious of each other to such an extent that some people unexpectedly packed up and left. This had not happened at the previous DSEI camps I had been to and I was a little surprised that one person could have such an undermining effect, but he certainly did.

Around lunchtime two Activists, F and G, bicycled down the lane next to the allotments where two lock-on devices had been hidden part way down in some bushes. Two police officers, who had been standing watching the cyclists from the entrance to the lane, waited for them to leave the area, then walked down and retrieved the lock-on devices.

The whole incident was seen by a group of people sat outside the big blue tent, who by the time the girls had got back to the top of the lane, were all stood up wondering what was going on. The lock-on devices had been made several months prior to DSEI and had been expected to be difficult to remove protesters from with a long cut-out time. They were due to be deployed on the Saturday.

Activist H approached Activist F, clearly upset, although not angry, and asked what they had been thinking about going down there. Activist F responded that they had just gone to see if the devices were still there and were very sorry the police had seen them. It transpired from a later conversation that only four or five people knew about the devices and those that did know did not include Activists A, B or C.

One of the two cyclists, Activist F, was very friendly with Mr Monaghan and I had noticed them frequently sat together on the couch outside the tea-tent. From what I overheard I am sure Activist F was in the group who had met with Mr Monaghan the day the confrontation in the park took place

A short while after this, perhaps only 5 or 6 minutes, a lock-on device that had been hidden in the bushes very near to the camp appeared on the path. No one noticed who had moved it, and the police, who just happened to be passing at that very moment, picked it up. I later learned the lock-on close to the camp had been placed there by the same people who had hidden the other two down the lane, again only the same few people knew it had been hidden there.

On the Friday tea-time another incident occurred that knocked moral to rock bottom.

A well-known DSEI campaigner had been arrested twice very early on in the in the week for truck-surfing and had received bail conditions not to enter the area. However, breaking bail conditions she sneaked back onto camp and had been helping out in the kitchen tent where she could not be seen. For four days she had evaded re-arrest. Late afternoon the police suddenly began to patrol the camp, walking up and down, stopping in the path that separated the two camping areas to look around. They then came onto the camp and, on the pretext of talking to people, tried to look inside the tents .

We all began to get really nervous as it felt as though a raid was about to take place. Most people moved away from the kitchen tent and tried to cause distractions, however Mr Monaghan and Activist F remained where they were seated on the couch close to the tent. For some unknown reason Mr Monaghan walked into the tent, came back out, walked down the path where two officers were standing and walked past them. Less than a minute later police surrounded the tent and the two officers that Mr Monaghan had just passed on the path walked into the tent and came out with the lady truck-surfer. By this time everyone had gathered round very upset with what was happening. The police then arrested her and she was taken away. At that point I saw Mr Monaghan leave the campsite and head towards the park.

The whole camp had been running smoothly, with lock-ons being deployed, truck-surfs and human roadblocks, the actions had been great, but as soon as Mr Monaghan arrived everything, but everything began to go wrong. The police seemed to know our every move and we then knew we had been defeated. People who had been going to stay for two weeks just left, by Monday there was virtually no one on camp."

TGWA:

Thank you for sharing this and allowing us to publish it. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Activist X:

"When I read Mr Monaghan's Facebook post it brought everything back to me. Things just go round and round your head, you think you are going crazy, or that your imagination is in overdrive. I have read Undercover, and although you know it's all true it does at first seem bizarre that the state will go to such lengths to infiltrate and disrupt peaceful protests, but of course DSEI has been one of the main campaigns to infiltrate, along with CND. Also, when you really think about it, in 2017 we very nearly closed DSEI down. The protests had been so successful exhibitors were nearly four days behind in setting up their stands and had to work all through Sunday night to get ready for Monday morning. At the beginning of the week in 2019 things had been exactly the same with exhibitors running behind with their deliveries. The UK Government relies on DSEI to generate a huge amount of income, not only for the arms industry but for the whole of the British economy, and whatever it takes they will ensure it will be a success.

Do I think I am mad? No I don't. Do I think I have got this wrong? No I don't. Do I think Ross Monaghan is either a police informer or undercover spy cop, yes I do, I most definitely do."

The Green Wash authors have spoken independently to four other people who witnessed the above incidents, some even more involved than Activist X. Unfortunately they are either too afraid of the consequences of speaking out or did not want to break the code of DSEI silence by having their report of events published. However, we, The Green Wash authors, can confirm their description of events tally exactly with what Activist X has described.

The world of campaigning and activism can be very daunting and we understand why people feel they are unable speak out. We would, therefore, like to thank Activist X for their bravery in standing up for truth.

If anyone would like to contact us with any further information about Ross Monaghan, or anyone else, please either message us via the website or leave a comment at the end of the blog post.

ActorVist Ross Monaghan - Part 3

A tale of two camps & a bit of an incident - directed by, & starring, ActorVist Ross Monaghan