Sheffield Campaign Against Israeli Apartheid camp outside Barclays

Sheffield Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid sent out this press release

Barclays have blood on their hands: Protesters in Sheffield close down Barclays Bank

Following their  day camp outside the Town Hall in January, Lena Mussa and Shahar Awadallah and supporters camped for 24 hours outside Barclays Bank this weekend., February 9th and 10th.

Barclays immediately closed the Branch and haven’t yet reopened.

There was huge support from passers by, including some saying they would immediately close their accounts.  Barclays became the focus for a boycott movement when they propped up the apartheid regime in South Africa, and now they’re doing the same thing again in relation to Israel.

Once again Barclays Bank is outstanding as a supporter of apartheid, now in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.  The bank holds over £1 billion in shares in, and provides over £3 billion in loans and underwriting to, 9 companies whose weapons, components, and military technology are being used by Israel in its attacks on Palestinians.

This includes General Dynamics, which produces the gun systems that arm the fighter jets used by Israel to bombard Gaza, and Elbit Systems, which produces armoured drones, munitions and artillery weapons being used now by the Israeli military in both Gaza and the West Bank.