LONDON – British police arrested nine individuals during a protest against arms exports to Israel on Wednesday, which temporarily blocked the street outside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). This protest has brought to light the mounting pressure on the new Labour government regarding its stance on the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Pro-Palestinian activists in the UK have been campaigning for the government to halt arms sales to Israel following its military actions in Gaza in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas. Last week, Foreign Minister David Lammy, who has advocated for a balanced approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict, stated that a blanket ban on arms exports to Israel would be inappropriate. However, he emphasized that he would follow a quasi-judicial process to determine whether the sale of offensive weapons that could potentially be used in Gaza should proceed.
The Metropolitan Police reported that the protesters obstructed both pedestrian and vehicular access outside the FCDO. Officers then informed the group that the protest could only continue if they left the central arch of the street clear. When the protesters failed to comply, police intervened, making nine arrests and swiftly restoring access.
In his previous role as a member of the opposition, Lammy had stated earlier this year that the government should suspend the sale of UK arms if there was a clear risk of their use in serious breaches of humanitarian law. Upon assuming office, he requested an assessment of the legal implications of arms sales to Israel on his first day and expressed his intention to communicate any decisions with “full accountability and transparency.”
The Labour Party, which recently secured a significant majority in the election, saw a loss of some seats to pro-Gaza candidates. The campaign group Workers for a Free Palestine, which organized the protest, argued that this loss indicated the government’s need to adopt a stronger stance on restricting arms sales to Israel. They called on Lammy to “practice what he preached in opposition.”
While the previous Conservative government strongly supported Israel’s right to self-defense following the October 7 attack, Reuters reported a significant drop in the value of Britain’s approvals of new arms licenses after the war began.