Youth Demand supporters have once again taken to the streets. They are 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. [1]
From 11am around 63 supporters of Youth Demand gathered at Brunswick Square Gardens. At around 12:20 one team of 36 took to the road at Aldgate East station disrupting traffic for around 15 minutes. A second team of 27 took to the road at High Holborn at 12:40 leaving the road at 12:55.
At around 13:40 team one entered the road at London Bridge’s southern crossing disrupting traffic for 20 minutes. At 14:00 team two entered the road at Oxford Circus and stayed in the road till around 14:25.
At 15:20 both teams converged on Waterloo Bridge and remained there for half an hour. Two supporters were arrested under breach of Section 7 of the Public Order Act as the team left the bridge at 15:50.
A Youth Demand spokesperson said:
“Since October 7th 2023, more than 10 children in Gaza have lost one or both of their legs each day since Israel began indiscriminately murdering civilians. The operations to save these childrens’ lives are often carried out without anaesthetic due to the ongoing blockade of food and medical supplies being prevented from entering Gaza. The UK is providing the weapons and logistical support that are being used to blow these childrens’ limbs off. What sort of ‘decent’ and ‘respectable’ society allows this to happen in 2025?? We need a total trade embargo with Israel right now!”
One of those taking part in swarming is Cassie McCallin, a Health and Safety Manager from London, who said:
“I felt the need to take more direct action, after 18 months of watching a genocide escalate with nothing changing, I needed to do something. It’s terrifying to see the apathy from so many people. I’ve been raised to not make a fuss, not get in the way, so it is frightening to disrupt roads. But then I remember what we are up against, I see again the images and videos coming from Gaza and then I understand this is necessary and a moral imperative, whilst Palestinians are being annihilated and their story is silenced and misrepresented by our media and governments.”
Today’s action comes as leaders of 12 major aid groups have warned that Palestinian children are surviving on less than one meal a day. At least 64 have been killed in Gaza since yesterday morning, as the confirmed death toll from direct Israeli attack rises to over 51,000, with at least another 10,000 people presumed dead under rubble. Meanwhile disease, malnutrition and famine are ravaging the remaining population of Gaza. In the UK, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the UK’s largest Jewish advocacy group, have condemned Israel saying they “cannot turn a blind eye or remain silent” at the “renewed loss of life and livelihoods” as a result of the renewed offensive in Gaza. [3]
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. Join us at youthdemand.org
ENDS
Youth Demand Press contact: 07762 987334
Press email: YouthDemandPress@protonmail.com
High quality images & video here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13vFus2e8TEI_bfhIYHXEIV-IZV86P9v9
Website: https://youthdemand.org
Twitter: https://x.com/youth_demand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_youthdemand
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youth.demand
Notes to Editors
[1] Youth Demand is a youth-led resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide in Palestine and across the globe as a result of the climate crisis.
Our demands:
Stop all trade with Israel:the UK government must impose a total trade embargo on Israel.
Make the rich pay: the UK government must raise £1tn by 2030 from the super rich and fossil fuel elite to pay damages to communities and countries most harmed by fossil fuel burning.
Youth Demand is part of Umbrella and a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects.
