Pro-Palestine protesters have reportedly occupied the offices of a bank in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens – with some chaining themselves to the entrance of the car park. Footage showed police trying to cut one of the mob free, while protesters are also understood to have covered the front of the building in red paint, reported the Manchester Evening News.
The property is home to Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon, which campaigners say invests in Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest weapons firm.
Some demonstrators attached themselves to the entrance to the building’s car park and lay down in front of it.
Police are currently at the scene and at least one individual was seen being taken away by police in handcuffs.
Protests have flared up in Manchester for months, since conflict broke out in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7. Thousands of people have died in the fighting which followed the attack.
Protesters say they have targeted the BNY building because they expected the visit of a New York-based executive today. The campaigners are part of Palestine Action.
Last Saturday (February 24), saw huge crowds gather outside Media City in Salford. Organisers said ‘thousands’ of people attended the protest led by children who left toys, clothes and shoes.
Children were encouraged to attend the demonstration to highlight the ‘horrific’ numbers of young lives lost in Gaza.
Palestinians from Gaza displayed photos of their family members who were killed by Israel’s bombings, including in previous conflicts in 2014 and 2009.
Express.co.uk has approached Greater Manchester Police for more details.
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