Six Arrested Over Plot to Disrupt London Stock Exchange

Activists
from
the
Palestine
Action
group
were
allegedly
plotting
to
“target”
the
London
Stock
Exchange,
which
is
owned
by
London
Stock
Exchange
Group
PLC,
on
the
morning
of
January
15,
causing
damage
and
“locking
on”
to
prevent
the
building
from
opening
for
trading,
Scotland
Yard
said.

The
Express
reported
the
plot
would
kickstart
a
planned
“week
of
chaos”,
while
the
Met
added
that
there
was
a
“suggestion
that
this
was
one
part
of
a
planned
week
of
action”.

The
newspaper
said
the
group
hoped
to
cause
“huge
economic
damage”
by
climbing
on
top
of
two
revolving
doors
at
the
front
of
the
building,
armed
with
red
paint-filled
fire
extinguishers,
before
locking
their
necks
to
the
glass
entrance
using
bike
locks.

Other
activists
would
lock
themselves
together
in
front
of
the
main
and
back
entrances,
while
fake
bank
notes,
painted
red
to
represent
blood,
were
fired
from
“money
guns”.

The
allegations
come
after
a
two-month
investigation
during
which
a
reporter
posed
as
a
member
of
the
group,
the

Express
reported.

It
claimed
to
have
been
in
touch
with
the
group’s
ringleader,
who
said
on
the
encrypted
messaging
app
Signal
that
Monday’s
plot
was
part
of
a
week
of
action
against
British
institutions
allegedly
“complicit
in
Israeli
apartheid”.

The
Met
said
it
had
arrested
a
31-year-old
man
on
Sunday
in
Liverpool
on
suspicion
of
conspiracy
to
cause
criminal
damage
in
relation
to
the
incident.

A
further
five
people,
all
believed
to
be
part
of
the
same
alleged
plot,
were
arrested
later
on
Sunday
on
suspicion
of
conspiracy
to
cause
criminal
damage.

A
29-year-old
woman
was
later
arrested
in
Albert
Road,
Brent,
north
London,
while
a
23-year-old
man
was
arrested
in
Voss
Street,
Tower
Hamlets,
east
London.

Two
women
aged
28
and
26
were
then
arrested
in
Liverpool,
and
a
27-year-old
man
was
arrested
in
Brighton,
East
Sussex.

Writing
on
X,
formerly
Twitter,
Palestine
Action
said
the
“campaign
to
end
Israel’s
weapons
trade
remains
undeterred”.

Detective
Superintendent
Sian
Thomas
said:
“we
believe
this
group
was
ready
to
carry
out
a
disruptive
and
damaging
stunt
which
could
have
had
serious
implications
had
it
been
carried
out
successfully.

“I’m
grateful
to
the

Express
for
their
willingness
to
provide
the
information
gleaned
from
their
own
investigation.
It
was
instrumental
in
helping
us
intervene
successfully.

“Having
only
been
provided
with
the
material
on
Friday
afternoon
we
had
limited
time
to
act.

“Mindful
of
the
suggestion
]this
was
one
part
of
a
planned
week
of
action,
we
are
in
contact
with
the
City
of
London
Police
as
well
as
other
forces
across
the
UK
to
ensure
that
appropriate
resources
are
in
place
to
deal
with
any
disruption
in
the
coming
days.”

The
Palestine
Action
group
told
PA:
“the
London
Stock
Exchange
raise
billions
of
pounds
for
apartheid
Israel
and
trades
shares
in
weapons
manufacturers,
which
arm
Israel’s
genocide
of
the
Palestinian
people.

“While
Britain
remains
complicit
in
the
brutal
colonisation
of
Palestine,
our
direct
action
campaign
will
not
be
deterred.”

Several
members
of
the
group,
which
formed
in
July
2020
and
claims
to
want
to
shut
down
arms
trade
with
Israel,
have
been
the
subject
of
legal
action
in
recent
months.

In
December,
eight
activists
were
acquitted
of
a
total
12
charges
which
included
criminal
damage,
burglary
and
encouraging
criminal
damage,
the
group
said,
while
its
founder,
Richard
Barnard,
was
convicted
of
criminal
damage
for
his
involvement
in
action
against
an
Elbit
Ferranti
factory
in
Oldham,
Greater
Manchester.

Seven
activists
currently
face
charges
of
burglary
and
criminal
damage
at
a
trial
in
Bristol
Crown
Court
after
allegedly
entering
Elbit’s
headquarters
in
the
city.

By
Joseph
Draper,
PA

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