Pro-Palestine protesters occupied the entrance to a Government department building today in a demonstration against what they say is a UK Government “breach of international law and its own weapons export licensing criteria” in supplying Israel with weapons.
The protesters, organised by London for a Free Palestine, targeted the Department for Business and Trade early this morning.
They staged a distraction involving a cyclist crashing into a pedestrian, before forcing their way past a security guard and sitting on the floor in the entrance to the Government building, chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
In response to the protests, a Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “It is completely unacceptable to harass civil servants as they go about their jobs and the attempt to enter the department by force cannot be justified in any way. We are grateful to the police for their response and swift action.
“We take our defence export responsibilities extremely seriously and operate one of the most robust export licensing controls in the world.”
More to follow…
