Banks targeted over links to companies complicit in Israeli colonisation of Palestinian land

HSBC and Barclays were challenged over their complicity in the Israeli occupation of Palestine

TWO banks in Manchester city centre shut their doors on Saturday as protesters demonstrated against their involvement in firms supplying Israel.

HSBC and Barclays are being targeted for weekly protests by Manchester Palestine Action and Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

HSBC has investment in an Israeli firm whose UK subsidiary supplies parts for military drones.

A Manchester Palestine Action spokesman said: “Every Saturday, for the past five weeks, since the start of the great return march in Gaza, we have been out demanding HSBC and all complicit companies end all their investments in Israel’s arms trade.

“We will not remain silent while Palestinians in Gaza are being massacred while protesting against the occupation which has entrapped them under a brutal siege.

“We will not rest until all UK institutions and our government end all complicity with Israel’s brutal regime.”

At national level, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) will go into legal battle in three weeks against government plans to ban local authorities from withdrawing pension fund investments in companies which help Israel’s repression of the people of Palestine.

In June last year, PSC won a High Court battle which ruled that the government did not have the right to prevent councils from supporting the worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS).

The government is appealing against the court ruling.

PSC director Ben Jamal said: “It is crucial that we defend this victory and win the appeal.

“The government’s appeal is designed to stop the non-violent tactic of BDS from making a difference.”

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PHOTOS: https://twitter.com/ManchesterPSC/status/993599329469456384