Updated | Artists affiliated with British artist Banky's Dismaland themepark posted over 300 anti-arms trade posters across London on Tuesday, replacing paid-for advertising on the Underground and at bus stops with designs mimicking the style of regular adverts and Transport for London (TfL) messages.
According to fashion website DazedDigital, a group known as the Special Patrol Group are behind the anti-arms trade marketing, which aimed to make people aware of the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition ahead of its opening today at the ExCel Centre in East London.
One poster on the tube read: "This September, a swarm of arms dealers will be descending on the DLR ... These visitors make huge amounts of money from weapons and equipment that kills people in wars all over the world."
A number of tweets from the Special Patrol Group document the posters that appeared across London.
Your government is a threat to your health and wellbeing: https://t.co/am20kj3OV2 … #StopDSEI @AmnestyUK pic.twitter.com/lwINtb8o9V
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 15, 2015
Renew Trident: the common sense alternative to life on earth. Full poster from @darren_cullen #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/g3PhfYywYX
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 14, 2015
Over 300 of these went up on the #LondonUnderground this morning. #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/Q5BV6i82Zq
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 14, 2015
Selling arms is Great Britain, bombing is Great Britain. #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/Xd4cH5bFo0
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 14, 2015
Oxford Street says #StopDSEI! Designs by @barnbrook pic.twitter.com/MXDRrEmkGb
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 14, 2015
More bus stop ad spaces in London say NO to DSEI. G'long wi ya war machinery. Designs: @barnbrook @CAATuk #StopDSEI pic.twitter.com/ZUQEiEZ7ah
— Special Patrol Group (@SpecialPatrols) September 14, 2015
Curator Gavin Grindon, whose "Museum of Cruel Designs" at Dismaland exhibits real world objects relating to the arms industry, told London24 that today's action was a natural progression from what was being exhibited at Banksy's mock themepark.
"The posters appeared today to commemorate the opening of DSEI, who don't seem to have done much advertising of their own," he added.
The Defence and Security Equipment (DSEI) arms fair, held every two years at the ExCel Centre, displays air, naval, land and security hardware from over 1,500 arms giants. DSEI attracts a number of authoritarian regimes including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Qatar and Pakistan.
A TfL spokesperson told London24: "This is not an authorized advert. It is fly-posting and therefore an act of vandalism which we take extremely seriously. We have instructed our contractor to remove any found on our network."
Correction: This article originally incorrectly stated that Gavin Grindon is an artist and that his "Museum of Cruel Designs" exhibits anti-arms posters. It has been updated in order to say that he is a curator and that his museum exhibits real world objects relating to the arms industry.
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