Further protests at UK factories over military arms sent to Israel

More protests have been held outside factories across the UK by campaigners against military arms being sent to Israel.

Organisers said more than 1,000 workers and trade unionists demonstrated outside BAE Systems sites, as well as the London offices of the Business and Trade department.

They said the aim was to show solidarity with Palestinian workers.

The Workers for a Free Palestine group said it was escalating its tactics by targeting BAE Systems and the government department on the same day.

Members of the group protested outside factories in Glasgow, South Wales and Lancashire.

Tania, a trade unionist and organiser for Workers for a Free Palestine taking part in the London protest – who did not want to give her full name, said: “Our movement forced the issue of an arms embargo onto the table and polling shows the majority of the British public want to see arms sales to Israel banned, yet the government and also the Labour Party continue to ignore the will of the people.”

“The government has sought to play down the scale of its arms supplies to Israel, but the reality is UK arms and military support play a vital role in the Israeli war machine, and evidence that three British aid workers were killed by a drone partly produced in the UK shows the extent of British complicity in Israel’s genocide.”

Today’s protests were the latest in a series of demonstrations outside factories in recent months.