Palestine solidarity activists disrupt Barclays AGM, saying 'Stop bankrolling genocide'

Palestine solidarity activists disrupt Barclays AGM, saying ‘Stop bankrolling genocide’

Palestine solidarity activists have disrupted the Barclays AGM in London on 7 May. This was in protest at the bank’s financial links to Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.

The protesters called on Barclays to end its role as a ‘primary dealer’ in the sale of Israel government bonds, and to end its substantial provision of investment and loans to arms companies that supply Israel.

Protesters interrupted the proceedings to call on Barclays to “stop bankrolling genocide.” The disruption continued until security guards escorted several groups of people out of the meeting.

Barclays up to its elbows in Israel’s genocide

Research by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign Against Arms Trade and War on Want shows that Barclays holds over £2bn in shares and provides £6.1bn in loans and underwriting to 9 companies whose weapons, components and military technology Israel uses in its military assaults on Palestinians.

In addition, Barclays has an agreement with Israel to act as a ‘primary dealer’ for its government bonds. This means it helps Israel directly to raise money to fund its genocide and apartheid against Palestinians. Barclays is the only UK headquartered bank to play this role.

Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has killed over 72,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. In the West Bank, Israel has escalated its military assaults and forcible dispossession of Palestinians.

The Canary spoke to veteran environmental and human rights activist Jonathan Porritt outside the AGM:

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Barclays is the target of a mass boycott campaign with thousands of people having closed accounts. Regular pickets take place outside Barclays branches. And cultural and sporting organisations are being intensively lobbied to cut ties with the bank in an echo of the successful 1980’s campaign against South African apartheid.

Ryvka Barnard, Palestine Solidarity Campaign deputy director, said:

There can be no business as usual for Barclays while it bankrolls Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in in the Gaza Strip, and wider regime of military occupation and apartheid.

Rather than heeding voices of conscience, which include thousands of former customers, it seeks to make more money from the misery, pain and death of Palestinians. We call on everyone to join our campaign – to close their accounts with Barclays, pledge not to bank there until it ends its complicity in Israel’s crimes , and picket branches across Britain.

The only way to get Barclays to do the right thing is by drawing public attention to their role in facilitating Israel’s genocide and hitting their profits. Just as South African anti-apartheid campaigners did, we too will force Barclays to withdraw in shame from Israel’s arms supply chain.

Featured image via the Canary