Students affiliated with multiple King’s College London societies at are due to protest against the annual London Defence Conference (LDC) outside Bush House tomorrow (Friday).
The LDC is an annual event on defence and geopolitics hosted in cojunction with King’s School of Security Studies. It draws together policymakers, industry leaders and academia.
Students are expected to protest tomorrow at 12pm as part of a large coalition of over eighty groups, including KCL Stands For Justice (KCLS4J), the Campaign Against Arms Trade and Defend Our Juries.
Protest organisers argue that the LDC represents a “convergence of political power”, taking particular issue with the arms industry being present on King’s campuses, saying that they are “not naive about what this conference represents”.
Last year’s event was sponsored by American intelligence firm Palantir, which has come under fire for close ties to the Trump administration and for supplying advanced AI tools to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Other sponsors and supporters have included the private equity firm Blackstone and the British defence company BAE Systems. Previous speakers include Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in their capacities as prime minister.
Safety concerns
King’s College London is a “core partner”, with it’s School of Security Studies said to be “at the heart” of the multi-day event.
The LDC says that they are a “conference of friendly countries dedicated to increasing the salience and visibility of defence and security in an increasingly dangerous global environment”.
Activists say their opposition centres on the role of defence companies and the UK’s broader involvement in overseas conflicts, particularly in relation to the Gaza war.
KCLS4J has described the LDC as “the annual gathering of the world’s most notorious warmongers… sponsored and supported by companies arming and profiting from genocide”.
They cite the involvement of defence contractors and think tanks such as Palantir, ADS, the Pinsker Centre and Thales.
Some students have also raised safety concrerns, especially taking into consideration that last year’s demonstrations involved physical confrontations between activists and Metropolitan Police officers.
This year’s protest takes place against a backdrop of previous demonstrations last year after an Egyptian student, Usama Ghanem, was suspended after his participiation in pro-Palestine protests.
Facing deportation to Egypt, his ongoing legal battle has attracted worldwide commentary and further protests at King’s. He participated in previous protests against the LDC last year.
King’s College London and the LDC have been approached for comment.
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