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"Students and activists from multiple societies staged a protest against the annual London Defence Conference (LDC), opposing the alleged ties of the event to the defence industry. Footage filmed on Friday shows demonstrators gathering outside Bush House and holding banners reading 'Looks like arms industry is making killing again and again,' 'No colonial apartheid; zionist lynchings,' and 'Boycott Israeli apartheid; end torture, free children.' A group of counter-protesters was also seen outside the venue, waving Israeli flags amid heavy police presence. Later, it was announced that LDC shifted its main sessions to the Raffles Hotel, housed in London's former Old War Office in Whitehall. After protesters learned about the venue's change, the march moved from the Strand toward Westminster. "We have surrounded this building, as it is allegedly hosting individual CEOs representing arms companies that supposedly provide defence, but they are defending nobody across the Global South," said Essad, one of the protesters. "We're here because we find it absolutely disgusting that this conference is taking place. It's called the London Defence Conference, but it should be called the Murder Conference, because all the arms companies, the mass murderers, the war criminals are congregating here," said Saba, another protester taking part in the rally. The planned demonstration has been organised by a coalition of more than eighty groups. "We're peaceful. We're here because we absolutely oppose and reject violence, and we reject mass murder and state violence," Saba added. Last year's conference was sponsored by Palantir. This US-based intelligence company has faced criticism for its connections to the Trump administration and its provision of advanced AI tools to the Israeli Defence Forces. Other past sponsors and supporters have included Blackstone and BAE Systems. This is the fourth edition of the London Defence Conference, described as gathering for 'friendly' countries drawing together leaders, policymakers, military, industry, academia and selected media."
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