Youth Demand supporters are swarming across the City of London today 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]
At around 9:30 this morning, around 20 Youth Demand supporters stepped onto a pedestrian crossing in Canary Wharf and held up the traffic for around 15 minutes as they stood with banners reading “Stop arming Israel” and chanted “stop the genocide” through loudhailers, while letting off smoke flares. They were attended by private security from Canary Wharf estate and left the road after around 15 minutes. The team emerged later at Bishopsgate in the City of London, and blocked the road at another pedestrian crossing for around 10 minutes. Armed City of London Police attended but there were no arrests. Further actions are expected later today.
A Youth Demand spokesperson said:
“Allowing the sale of weapons to a genocidal regime that is daily executing children by shooting them in the head and bombing starving people living in tents is just evil. There is no other word for it. The Israeli government is led by a war criminal, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and their intention is clear: they want to wipe Palestinian people, culture and traditions off the face of the earth. Allowing any trade with Israel is effectively aiding and abetting a genocide. We are demanding that the UK government imposes a total trade embargo on Israel.
“We will not stand by and allow the immense suffering of the people of Gaza to continue month after month after month. We will get on the streets day after day to shut London down and continue to resist until Keir Starmer meets our demands. ”
Today’s actions come against a backdrop of ongoing killing and forcible displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, coupled with the routine denial of access for aid and of medical evacuations. As a result the Gaza strip is facing the worst humanitarian crisis since October 2023. [2]
The Israeli military continued its 18 month long genocidal war on Easter Monday, killing at least 29 more Palestinians, including many displaced people living in tents. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 51,240 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 7th October 2023, including 1,864 since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18th. Separately, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that nearly 600 children have been killed since Israel resumed its assaults on March 18. [3][4][5]
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.
[2] https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-280-gaza-strip
