Aberdeen stands with Gaza and calls on Barclays Bank to stop profiting from Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Aberdeen Trades Union Council joined Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (Aberdeen), RIC, community and faith groups at a "die-in" at Barclays Bank, Union Street Aberdeen on Saturday 16th August, to raise awareness of the bank's involvement in the supply of arms to Israel and its subsequent complicity in war crimes.

Demonstrators marched from St Nicholas Square, along Union Street to the die-in at the bank, to show their support for Palestinian human rights. They leafleted passers-by, many of whom stopped to sign a petition calling on Barclay's Bank to divest from their holdings in Elbit Systems, an Israeli Arms manufacturer.

The demonstrators then entered the bank to hand over the petition, and to leaflet customers of the bank calling for them to put pressure on Barclays to divest.

Fiona Napier, Chair of Aberdeen Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said, "Barclays Bank holds about 6.5% of all of Elbit shares. The Scottish Government has called for an arms embargo on Israel given the mounting evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. This must be accompanied by global divestment from Israeli arms companies.

“Elbit Systems specialises in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, or drones). Drone attacks have been a central part of Israel’s recent attack on Gaza, contributing to the killing of over 1,900 Palestinians, around 85% of whom were civilians, amongst them over 400 children. The UN has called Israeli attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip “gross violations of international law” and a particular attack on a UN school “a moral outrage and a criminal act”. Barclays must stop profiting from these ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people and disinvest from Elbit Systems.

"This action reflects protests taking part across the UK against Barclays and other organisations complicit in the arms trade with Israel"

With thanks to Renee Slater for the photos.