ENVIRONMENTALISTS staged a silent protest outside Barclays headquarters today over the bank’s shares in Israeli arms companies. 

Fossil Free London activists held signs that read “Barclays profits from genocide” and “Barclays profits from infanticide” as they stood outside the offices dressed in black as staff walked in. 

Joanna Warrington of Fossil Free London said: “As Israel continues its genocide on the people of Gaza, all the bosses of Barclays see is a business opportunity.

“Just as they continue to finance new fossil fuel expansion projects, banks like Barclays prop up violent arms and fossil fuel corporations with their investments.

“All the time that banks like Barclays profit from human suffering as they invest in violent and environmentally destructive practices we will be here to hold them to account.

“The climate movement stands in solidarity with Palestinians, and against fossil fuel banks operating with impunity to fund the arms and oil that kill en masse.”

The protest in London was part of a series of actions by Fossil Free London aimed at showing the links between the climate crisis and the plight of the Palestinians.

Last week, they protested outside BP after Israel granted 12 gas exploration licences off the coast of Gaza to six companies, including the oil and gas giant.

Barclays owns £1.3 billion worth of shares in companies supplying Israel with weapons and military technology used in violence against Palestinians.

The banking giant also provides an additional £4 billion worth of loans and other financial services to these companies, which include Israel’s largest private arms company, Elbit Systems.

War on Want has said the militarised repression of the Palestinians is made possible by “international complicity… whilst corporations, including Barclays, invest in these weapons and other repressive technologies.”  

Barclays has been contacted for comment.