Latest news with #ReyaWood
The Independent
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Youth Demand activists disrupt London Pride with red paint in pro-Palestine protest
Youth Demand activists disrupted London's Pride parade by throwing red paint at a float in a pro-Palestine protest on Saturday. Several campaigners have been arrested after they blocked US-based company Cisco's float in central London, accusing the company of being 'complicit in genocide' and 'hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing'. Four Youth Demand activists threw red paint over the float at around 12:30pm as it passed along Piccadilly. They then sat down in the road and glued themselves to the float, chanting 'we charge you with genocide'. The Parade was delayed for about an hour while the group were removed, with five arrests made. The group said on social media: 'Technology corporation CISCO has a long standing partnership with the Israeli military and enables the mass murder of Palestinians through advanced military communication networks facilitated by their Unified Communication systems. They have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride. 'They are not only complicit in war crimes but actively enabling military communications in an apartheid state. We demand a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pinkwashing of complicit corporations.' According to Youth Demand, one of the protestors, Reya Wood, 22, a student from Swansea, said: 'I am taking action against Cisco at London Pride to highlight the company's complicity in genocide and how they are hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing. As a queer woman, this action is particularly meaningful to me. I refuse to stand aside and allow my queer identity to be exploited for commercial gain at the hands of war criminals.' The protesters were pictures being arrested and taken away by police. The Independent has contacted Cisco and the Met Police for comment. A spokesperson from the force told the Mail Online: 'Met officers have arrested five people after Youth Demand protesters disrupted the Pride event in central London. 'At around 12:30hrs four members of the group threw red paint over a truck involved in the parade and glued themselves to the vehicle outside The Ritz. 'They were removed by specialist officers and arrested. A fifth member of the group was arrested in the crowd. 'The parade has resumed and a significant policing operation remains in place.' The protest happened a short distance away from a separate protest taking place in support of recently proscribed group Palestine Action. Over 20 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences at a Palestine Action protest where dozens stood silently beneath the statue of Mahatma Ghandi in Parliament Square. The protesters were holding placards that said: 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'. It came hours after Palestine Action lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday which sought to stop the protest group being banned. The move was confirmed less than two hours before the new legislation came into force at midnight. The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The protest started at about 1.10pm and officers were seen taking people away shortly after 1.30pm.
The National
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Youth Demand activists stage Gaza protest at London Pride
At around 12.30pm on Saturday, four activists blocked the float of US-based technology company Cisco over its alleged ties with Israel. The campaigners sprayed red paint over the float before sitting down in front of it and gluing themselves to the road. (Image: Will Colebourne) (Image: Getty Images) (Image: Will Colebourne) Chants of "we charge you with genocide" could be heard, with the parade delayed for around an hour while the activists were removed. Youth Demand said five people were arrested. The group called on the UK Government to impose a total trade embargo on Israel and prosecute corporations who have relations with Israel for violations of international law. It said Cisco's technology "form the backbone of the Israeli military's surveillance and communications infrastructure", and said as a result it was potentially implicated in Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians. READ MORE: Reform UK MP suspends himself from party over '£70k Covid loans' One of those taking part in the action was Reya Wood, 22, who said: 'I am taking action against Cisco at London Pride to highlight the company's complicity in genocide and how they are hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing. "As a queer woman, this action is particularly meaningful to me. I refuse to stand aside and allow my queer identity to be exploited for commercial gain at the hands of war criminals.' Another activist, Monday-Malachi Rosenfeld, 22, said: 'I'm taking action because queer liberation and Palestinian liberation go hand in hand, and we cannot have one without the other. There can be no celebration or joy when companies like Cisco are supplying technology that is helping Israel to slaughter, displace and starve queer Palestinians, their families and tens of thousands of others in Gaza. "London Pride has no business accepting sponsorship from companies profiting from genocide, who pretend to care about queer people. The UK Government needs to impose a total trade embargo on Israel and prosecute Cisco for enabling genocide.' The Met Police have been contacted for comment.
