by Matt Kerr Scotland reporter MORE than 100 demonstrators blockaded Scotland’s largest industrial site today to call for a halt of arms to Israel. Amid the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, more than 100 Glaswegian activists answered the call from Palestine trade unionists to disrupt Israeli arms supplies, descending on Govan at 5am to blockade BAE Systems during a shift change.

The controversial company is Britain’s biggest supplier of military hardware and maintains extensive long-term links with Israel, supplying high-tech weaponry.

Demonstrators did not limit their aims to disrupting BAE systems and called both the Westminster and Scottish governments to account for their actions.

Protesters not only demanded that the Tory government immediately stop the bombing of Yemen, but also challenged the Scottish government. One demonstrator, Aisha, a 37-year-old school teacher, said: “The Scottish government funds weapons manufacturers like BAE through Scottish Enterprise.

“This is absolutely disgusting and directly contradicts any lip-service the Scottish Parliament and First Minister pays towards backing a ceasefire or supporting Palestinians.

“Scottish Enterprise is using public money to fund this genocide.”

Hospitality worker Stephen, 27, made clear that the target of the protest was not company staff, saying: "BAE Systems makes billions of pounds in profits every year through selling arms to Israel that are used to indiscriminately murder Palestinians in their thousands.

“We hold BAE's management, not ordinary workers, responsible for fuelling and profiting from the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.”

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We’re horrified by the devastating impact the situation in Israel and Gaza is having on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible.

“We have no operations or employees in Israel or Gaza and comply fully with all applicable defence export controls."