In a dramatic day of coordinated demonstrations, activists from the group Palestine Action targeted business premises in both London and Edinburgh, escalating their campaign against companies they accuse of complicity in Israel's military operations.
London Office Occupation
The protests began in the capital, where campaigners stormed the London offices of a firm allegedly involved in supplying military technology. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as protesters gained entry to the building, displaying banners and causing significant disruption to normal business operations.
Metropolitan Police officers responded quickly to the incident, making several arrests at the scene. A police spokesperson confirmed they were dealing with "a protest action" and urged members of the public to avoid the area while operations continued.
Edinburgh Demonstration
Meanwhile, in Scotland, a separate group of activists targeted different business premises in Edinburgh city centre. The Scottish protest mirrored the London action, with demonstrators employing similar tactics to draw attention to their cause.
Police Scotland confirmed they were in attendance and monitoring the situation, though the scale of the Edinburgh protest appeared smaller than its London counterpart.
Growing Protest Movement
These coordinated actions represent an escalation in tactics by Palestine Action, which has been increasingly active across the UK. The group claims to be targeting companies with links to Israel's defence industry, arguing that British businesses should not be profiting from conflict.
A spokesperson for the organisation stated: "We will continue to disrupt these companies until they cease their involvement in what we see as the oppression of Palestinian people."
The protests come amid heightened tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict, with activist groups adopting more confrontational approaches to draw public and media attention to their cause.
Business representatives from the targeted companies have yet to issue formal statements regarding today's incidents, though security has been visibly increased at several locations following the protests.
