Police arrest 6 pro-Palestine activists over alleged plot to disrupt London Stock Exchange
Police arrested six pro-Palestine activists on Sunday over their alleged plot to target and disrupt the London Stock Exchange, officials said.
Investigators determined that members of the Palestine Action group planned on causing damage and locking themselves onto infrastructure Monday morning to block the stock exchange building from opening for trading.
"These are significant arrests," Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas said. "We believe this group was ready to carry out a disruptive and damaging stunt which could have had serious implications had it been carried out successfully."
Police did not publicly identify the men and women. Early on Sunday, officers arrested a 31-year-old man in Liverpool. Later Sunday, police arrested a 29-year-old woman in Brent, a 23-year-old man in Tower Hamlets and a 27-year-old man in Brighton. Police also arrested two women, aged 28 and 26, in Liverpool.
All of the activists were taken into police custody on charges of suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage, and all six remained in custody Sunday evening local time.
"Mindful of the suggestion that this was one part of a planned week of action, we are in contact with the City of London Police as well as other forces across the UK to ensure that appropriate resources are in place to deal with any disruption in the coming days," officials said in a news release.
The investigation into the six individuals began on Friday after police received a tip from the Daily Express newspaper. A reporter posing as a potential member of the group had learned of the plan, according to the paper. The activists allegedly planned to chain their necks to doors at the stock exchange using bike blocks.
It has been 100 days since Hamas' deadly attack in Israel sparked a war that has claimed thousands of lives.
Previously, pro-Palestine demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza in New York City have shut down traffic and participated in a "Flood Wall Street for Gaza" rally.