Around 300 people turned up for the SPEAK Day of Action, a prayer/campaign action outside DESO (Defence Export Services Organisation). DESO is a government agency that promotes and markets UK arms exports overseas, often pushing arms sales to countries involved in volatile situations e.g. India and Pakistan. DESO receives £16million of taxpayers money in government subsidies each year, and SPEAK was campaigning and praying for an end to this government support and promotion of the Arms Trade.

The campaigning and prayer action took the form of collective repentance for the sins of our nation in relation to the Arms Trade and, through seven stages, moving to hope for change. So, after a mournful procession to DESO HQ to the sound of drumbeats, we all got into a makeshift trench. Collectively we: grieved over sin; confessed sin; asked for forgiveness; expressed our dependency on God; came to the cross; asked for strength to change; and looked forward with hope to seeing change. These stages included all kneeling in prayer outside DESO, and meditations based around: eating chocolate coffee beans (a bitter-sweet taste), writing our own, and collective confessions, taking communion, and handing daffodils with messages attached to each employee of DESO.

The day was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to DESO, the government, and passers-by that there are Christians who care about the Arms Trade and the problems it is creating, and it was also great to be part of a large group of individuals who shared the same concern for the poor and for seeing a more just world.