“Stop arming Israel”: Activists blockade Barclays branches, demand end to financial backing to Israel
Protest organisers claim Barclays is ‘bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians’ Credit: Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Pro-Palestine activists blockaded dozens of Barclays bank branches on Saturday in protest at the institution’s financial links with Israel.
The protestors called for customers to close down their accounts to show their opposition to the bank’s alleged investment in arms companies selling weapons used by Israeli forces in the Gaza conflict.
In Brighton a branch shut its doors after dozens of activists blocked the entrance with a banner reading “Stop arming Israel”. Several branches were kept open by the presence of police and security guards.
A dozen protesters gathered outside Barclays in Brent, north west London, standing in the entrance and holding banners reading “Free Palestine” and “Stop Arming Israel”, with similar protests in Glasgow, Leeds, Oxford and Coventry.
Pro-Palestine activists have targeted Barclays since Israel launched its bombing of Gaza in response to the Oct 7 attacks, with calls for a repeat of the boycott of the bank staged by some during the South African apartheid era.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organised the protests, stated: “Barclays is bankrolling Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians through its substantial financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel.
“Our research has found that Barclays invests over £2 billion in, and provides financial services worth £6.1 billion to, companies arming Israel.”
Barclays has previously defended offering banking services to firms in the defence and weapons industry.
Telegraph UK
