The activists reportedly sought to prevent the building from opening for trading
A group of pro-Palestinian activists were arrested on suspicion of plotting to disrupt the work of the London Stock Exchange, police said on Sunday.
The arrests were made in London, Liverpool, and Brighton. The suspects, aged 26 to 31, remain in custody.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the authorities were tipped off by the Daily Express newspaper about a group that sought to target the stock exchange, “causing damage and ‘locking on’ in an effort to prevent the building opening for trading.” The plan was supposed to be executed on Monday morning, police 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,” Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas said. He added that officers will be on the lookout for “any disruption in the coming days.”
Pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrations have been held in London and other UK cities after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7. Some of the rallies resulted in scuffles with police.
In early November, a group of Palestine supporters staged a sit-in at King’s Cross station in central London. Five people were arrested for violating the restrictions on public assembly.
Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked the roads outside the Parliament building in London.
The latest round of violence in the Middle East erupted on October 7, when Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and launching a military operation in Gaza. More than 23,000 Palestinian have died since, according to the local Hamas-run authorities.
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