Latest news with #YouthDemand
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.
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Pro-Palestine protesters halt London Pride parade by hurling paint & blocking roads after terror ban
It comes as the Home Office welcomed the ban on the group Palestine Action Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PRO-Palestine protesters have brought the London Pride parade to a standstill by hurling paint and blocking roads. Youth Demand disrupted the event at around 2pm targeting the float of technology firm CISCO - a sponsor of London Pride. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Pro-Palestine protesters from Youth Demand throw red paint and glue themselves to the lead float during the annual Pride parade in London Credit: EPA 3 Metropolitan Police officers speak to 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt during a protest in support of Palestine Action Credit: PA 3 A protest organised by the Defend Our Juries group in front of the Mahatma Gandhii statue in Parliament Square Credit: PA Meanwhile arrests have been made at a protest in London being held in support of Palestine Action after a ban on the group came into force on Saturday, police said. Campaign group Defend Our Juries said it planned to gather in Parliament Square holding signs supporting Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police posted on X on Saturday afternoon saying officers are responding to the protest in Parliament Square and making arrests. Palestine Action lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday which sought to stop the protest group being banned, 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 force posted on X saying: "Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. "The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. "Arrests are being made. Further updates will be shared here." It comes as the Home Office welcomed the ban on Palestine Action after the group failed to block its proscription with a late-night legal bid. 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 group lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday evening, which sought to stop it being banned, less than two hours before the move came into force at midnight. A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday: "We welcome the Court's decision and Palestine Action are now a proscribed group. "The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens." The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused around £7million of damage. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, stating that the vandalism of the two planes was "disgraceful" and that the group had a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage". MPs in the Commons voted 385 to 26, majority 359, in favour of proscribing the group on Wednesday, before the House of Lords backed the move without a vote on Thursday. Four people - Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22 - have all been charged in connection with the incident at Brize Norton. They appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday after being charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, under the Criminal Law Act 1977.
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Pro-Palestine protesters halt London Pride parade by hurling paint & blocking roads after terror ban
PRO-Palestine protesters have brought the London Pride parade to a standstill by hurling paint and blocking roads. Youth Demand disrupted the event at around 2pm targeting the float of technology firm CISCO - a sponsor of London Pride. 3 Pro-Palestine protesters from Youth Demand throw red paint and glue themselves to the lead float during the annual Pride parade in London Credit: EPA 3 Metropolitan Police officers speak to 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt during a protest in support of Palestine Action Credit: PA 3 A protest organised by the Defend Our Juries group in front of the Mahatma Gandhii statue in Parliament Square Credit: PA Meanwhile arrests have been made at a protest in London being held in support of Campaign group Defend Our Juries said it planned to gather in Parliament Square holding signs supporting Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police posted on X on Saturday afternoon saying officers are responding to the protest in Parliament Square and making arrests. Palestine Action lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday which sought to stop the protest group being banned, less than two hours before the new legislation came into force at midnight. Read more News 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 force posted on X saying: "Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. "The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. "Arrests are being made. Further updates will be shared here." Most read in The Sun It comes as the Home Office welcomed the ban on Palestine Action after the group failed to block its proscription with a late-night legal bid. 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 group lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday evening, which sought to stop it being banned, less than two hours before the move came into force at midnight. A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday: "We welcome the Court's decision and Palestine Action are now a proscribed group. "The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens." The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused around £7million of damage. Home Secretary MPs in the Commons voted 385 to 26, majority 359, in favour of proscribing the group on Wednesday, before the House of Lords backed the move without a vote on Thursday. Four people - Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22 - have all been charged in connection with the incident at Brize Norton. They appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday after being charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, under the Criminal Law Act 1977.
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.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pro-Palestine activists disrupt London Pride parade as they cover float with red paint day after Palestine Action were banned
Pro-Palestine activists have disrupted the London Pride parade as they covered a float with red paint. Four Youth Demand protesters targeted CISCO's truck as they charged the US-based company with 'genocide' and said they have 'no place' at the event. It comes less than 24 hours after it emerged that Palestine Action will be banned and designated as a terrorist organisation. Last night, a judge threw out co-founder Huda Ammori's legal challenge to stop the government from proscribing it under the Terrorism Act 2000. Photos from the London Pride event today show the group of Youth Demand activists sitting in front of CISCO's float holding buckets of red paint and Palestinian flags. The parade was delayed for about an hour while the protesters were removed and five people arrested. Youth Demand claimed 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 pink-washing of complicit corporations.' The group targeted the CISCO float as it passed through Piccadilly at around 12.30pm today. Four activists glued themselves to it, before chanting 'we charge you with genocide'. A Met Police spokesperson said: '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.' Youth Demand yesterday said that they stand 'unequivocally' with Palestine Action. The group posted on social media: 'The proscription of Palestine Action is the most sinister escalation we've seen yet in this government's actions to silence those who resist genocide 'Whilst the UK sends weapons to Israel and flies spy planes over Gaza, it terrorises those standing against it at home with unprecedented repression.' The proposal to ban Palestine Action was approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week. It would make membership and support for the direct action group a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. But despite the request, Mr Justice Chamberlain refused to block Ms Ammori's challenge at the High Court. He said: 'I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force.' Ms Ammori's legal team was also denied permission to appeal and was advised to take their case directly to the Court of Appeal. Currently, 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida, and National Action. Friday's hearing comes after an estimated £7million worth of damage was caused to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, are accused of conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. They were remanded into custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court and will appear at the Old Bailey on July 18.
