The logo of London Stock Exchange Group Plc in the office atrium in the City of London, UK, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
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London police on Sunday arrested six pro-Palestine activists for alleged plans to lock themselves to the doors of the London Stock Exchange to attempt to disrupt trading amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The arrests came after a Friday tip from U.K. newspaper The Daily Express, which had sent a reporter undercover to Palestine Action group meetings where the protests were coordinated.
“I’m grateful to the Express for their willingness to provide the information gleaned from their own investigation,” Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas said in a statement. “It was instrumental in helping us intervene successfully.”
The six Palestine Action protestors, all in their 20s or early 30s, planned to stage a week of protests, starting Monday morning. They aimed to cause financial losses for U.K. companies doing business with the Israel Defense Force amid the war in Gaza, which reached the 100-day mark on Sunday.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, London has been the site of some of the largest demonstrations calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The activists intended to start their week of protests on Monday morning by chaining their necks to the doors of the London Stock Exchange to prevent anyone from entering, according to the Express’ report published Sunday. They also planned to spray fire extinguishers and shoot fake bank notes painted red out of “money guns” around the stock exchange, according to the Express report.
The goal was to disrupt trading that might translate to millions or billions in financial losses.
London’s Metropolitan Police Force is aware that the protestors intended to stage disruptions throughout the week and said it is coordinating accordingly “to deal with any disruption in the coming days.”