From some anti-militarist activists.
Anti militarists in the UK have launched a campaign to force Barclays Bank to stop dealing with arms trade shares.
Barclays holds shares in several arms companies including Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest military company and the main supplier of drones used to attack and kill Palestinians in Gaza. The bank is the named owner of $2.9 million worth of shares in Elbit.
Barclays owns shares in Exelis, the US arms company which owns Brighton’s EDO MBM arms factory. The EDO factory has been the target of a concerted direct action campaign for over ten years.
The bank also holds shares in BAE, Raytheon and General Dynamics.
Palestinian students in Gaza have called for people in the UK to boycott the bank and take action against them:
“Since Barclays refuse to end this unethical practice [of] investing and dealing in shares in Elbit despite the fact that their drones kill us, our children, our parents, our brothers, sisters and friends, we ask for students to close their student Barclays account and tell Barclays why,”
This morning Barclays Bank in Brighton was forced to briefly close to the public on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas by people locking themselves to the doors of the branch.
Last month, occupations and protests were held in dozens of cities across the UK in a coordinated day of action. The actions forced several bank branches to close early for the day.
During Israel’s attacks on Gaza this summer, occupations and protests were held across the UK. Protests were held in Aberdeen, London, Brighton, Manchester and Wrexham.
It seems that the campaigns have sparked a response from the government. At a Defence Suppliers Forum meeting at the Ministry of Defence last week, the ministry announced its intention to organise a meeting with the 5 high street banks to “to emphasise the importance attached to the availability of banking services for defence companies”.