In a dramatic turn of events, footage has surfaced showing police forcefully pushing pro-Palestine protesters outside the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in London. The protesters had gathered in opposition to the UK’s weapons provision to Israel, joining a series of coordinated May Day actions at arms factories across the country.
The demonstrators, armed with banners denouncing British arms sales to Israel, formed blockades around the entrances to the department at the Old Admiralty Office by Horse Guards Parade. Reports indicate that over 600 protesters gathered outside, effectively preventing civil servants from entering the building.
Videos circulating online captured the intense police response to the protests, with multiple police vans seen entering the square as officers pushed protesters aside. A member of the Acorn union criticized the police actions as “unnecessary” and “heavy-handed,” claiming that there was not a single person left inside the DBT.
Meanwhile, protests also erupted outside BAE Systems facilities in Glasgow, Usk, and Lancashire, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation. Three arrests have been made so far, with the Metropolitan Police emphasizing the need for protesters to abide by the law.
BAE Systems responded to the protests by expressing concern over the ongoing violence in the Middle East and reaffirming their compliance with defense export controls. The company clarified that it does not have operations or employees in Israel or Gaza and does not directly sell military equipment to Israel.
This latest wave of protests marks a continued escalation in tactics by Workers for a Free Palestine, demonstrating solidarity with Palestinian workers and demanding an end to UK arms sales to Israel.