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Barclays Shut All Day, After Lively Protest.

bristol against the arms trade | 24.01.2011 22:57 | Smash EDO | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Palestine | Birmingham | Sheffield

Protestors clashed with police and security guards during a picket of banks in Broadmead and Cabot Circus.

About 80 people, many wearing guy fawkes masks and others dressed as clowns, joined the rolling demonstration to highlight the banks’ involvement in the arms trade.

They gathered in Castle Park before marching down Union Street and into Broadmead, at first followed by two patrolling police officers.

on the move
on the move

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But police reinforcements were brought in, together with security guards, after the protesters got into their first target, Barclays in Broadmead. Barclays were targetted as the have been before for there involvement in weapons that are or should be illegal, including depleted uranium, cluster munitions and Israeli F16 bomb release mechanisms.

The incident became heated when efforts were made to push the demonstrators out of the bank and force the doors shut, leading to some scuffles. Barclays chose to shut for the rest of the day.

Once they had been ejected, the protesters moved on to the nearby Lloyds TSB premises, where police and security staff were already waiting for them, lined up across the door.

Opposite was NatWest, another target for more chanting and messages left chalked on the pavement. The slogans referred to bankers’ bonuses as well as the arms trade. As the police helicopter hovered overhead and bemused shoppers looked on, the gathering then headed into Cabot Circus. For a time they switched their attention to Vodafone – one of the companies accused of tax avoidance – where several protesters ended up on the floor blocking the doorway. HSBC was the final target before the group, by then breaking up, headed back to safer ground near stokes croft. No arrest’s were made.

bristol against the arms trade
- Homepage: http://www.bristolagainstarmstrade.wordpress.com

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

but didnt

25.01.2011 10:27

picket, demo obstruct or in any way hassle the producers of the AK47, dragonov etc who sell to anyone, but I suppose that a soft target with only the most tenuous link to the arms trade is safer for the tarquins and jamimas

bless, a nice little safe demo with no viable target.

Somalian embassy? Sudanese? Zimabwe? of Saudi even, last being worst of the lot.

soft,soft,soft

anon


Smash the arms trade

25.01.2011 15:16

In reply to the troll above.

There were people attending this picket that had amoungst other things - smashed up an arms factory ran by those bastards EDO / ITT, creators of mass misery and destruction.

What have you done to done to reduce children's suffering?

bristol boy
- Homepage: http://decommissioners.co.uk


Great idea re AK47s, you organise the demo, we will support it

25.01.2011 15:40

nice one& great action.
Keep up the insurrection, but dont succumb to insurgency& a strategy of tension please.

Alexander Kalashnikov