Youth Demand surprise cops with unannounced actions across London

Dozens of Youth Demand supporters have taken to the streets, demanding that the UK government impose a total trade embargo on Israel, and make the super rich and fossil fuel elite pay damages to communities and countries most harmed by fossil fuel burning.

The actions were a surprise – as the group had previously stated it would be taking direct action every Tuesday and Saturday during April. This wildcat swarm seems to indicate that Youth Demand will be causing more disruption than previously thought – and rightly so:

Good morning London, we are shutting it DOWN!

We will stop business as usual until the Government enforces a full trade embargo on Israel and ends its complicity in genocide.
It’s as simple as that.

Join us on the streets everyday this month by signing up at… pic.twitter.com/kdu6bhiEcK

— Youth Demand (@youth_demand) April 7, 2025

Youth Demand: swarming across London

At around 9am on Monday 7 April, 35 supporters of Youth Demand in two teams blocked traffic on Kensington Gore, near the Royal Albert Hall and at Poultry, near the Bank of England.

They stepped onto pedestrian crossings while the lights were red, unfurled banners reading ‘Youth Demand an End to Genocide’ and ‘Stop Arming Israel’, and let off smoke flares:

Police arrived shortly after and issued a warning under Section 7 of the Public Order Act. Both teams left the road after approximately 15 minutes.

The two groups reemerged at Elephant and Castle and at Holborn where they blocked traffic again:

Then, at around 12:15 the groups combined to disrupt traffic on Vauxhall Bridge near Milbank, where a motorcyclist drove through a banner, ripping it from the hands of the Youth Demand supporters. The teams left the road after around 20 minutes. There were no arrests:

One of those taking action was Carlos Español-Espinel, 33, a PhD student from Cambridge, who said

Israel is continuing to slaughter Palestinian children, aid workers, medics, journalists and the people of Gaza with impunity. Dropping bombs on tents, blocking aid shipments, starving people, while it bulldozes their homes. The UK government and media refuses to even call it what it is. It is genocide, bloody genocide.

The British State is actively contributing to the killing spree, selling bombs to Israel and failing to arrest UK citizens who commit war crimes in Gaza. I’m here to stand in solidarity with Palestinians and demand that the UK government impose a total trade embargo on Israel.

Also taking action today is Connie Chilcott, 23, a student from Falmouth who said

I can’t stand by and watch as our government puts profits over the lives of Palestinians. The cowardice we see in the Labour government is disgusting, and we won’t stand for it anymore. As young people, we demand better. We demand a total trade embargo on Israel.

We refuse to be ruled by liars, war criminals and arsonists. We will not let them get away with this. We refuse to be ignored. It’s time for young people to take to the streets day after day and shut London down. Only sustained mass resistance can put an end to genocide. It’s time to disrupt: join us!

Today’s actions come against a backdrop of ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Israel: the atrocities continue

In the latest news Israel has bombed a tent housing journalists near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing at least two and wounding seven others. This brings to 50 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours.

Israel has changed its account of the killing of 15 paramedics and emergency responders who were killed one after another on 23 March and buried in a shallow grave where their bodies were found a week later by officials from the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. Video footage emerged which contradicted its original story.

Israel has persistently denied that its political leaders or military have committed war crimes during its assault on Gaza, in which it has killed more than 50,000 people, most of them civilians.

However, a war crimes complaint against 10 Britons who served with the Israeli military in Gaza was submitted to the Met police yesterday by one of the UK’s leading human rights lawyers. The UK continues to support genocide by supplying arms, whilst conducting more surveillance flights on behalf of Israel over Gaza than any other country.

Youth Demand: stepping up

The three separate road blocks come after Youth Demand were also out in London on Saturday 5 April.

At around 11am, around 65 supporters of Youth Demand gathered at Brunswick Square Gardens to discuss today’s actions as well as the principles of nonviolence. The supporters divided into two teams and at around 12:15pm a group of 40 blocked traffic on Euston Road near King’s Cross station:

The groups could be seen holding signs which read ‘Youth Demand an End to Genocide’ and ‘Stop Arming Israel’, and could be heard chanting ‘stop killing babies’. Police arrived shortly after and issued a warning under Section 7 of the Public Order Act. The group left the road after approximately 10 minutes.

At 1:30pm this group moved to block Old Street Junction until about 1:55pm. Meanwhile another group of 20 people took action at Baker Street for around half an hour:

All this came after cops raided a Quaker meeting house in Westminster where Youth Demand were gathering. The raid caused widespread outrage – even from politicians – and caused protests and rallies.

Youth Demand said:

Young people will not accept these crimes against humanity and we will not be led by war criminals and arsonists. We cannot allow those in power to get away with facilitating the systematic annihilation of an entire culture. It’s time to take to the streets day after day and to demand better.

Only sustained mass resistance can put an end to this genocide. Sign up to take action at youthdemand.org

Featured image and additional images supplied