Pro-Palestine campaigners have staged a demonstration outside Wimbledon in protest at Barclays’ sponsorship of the tennis championships.
Two dozen demonstrators from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) group were taking part in the demonstration in the street outside the entrance, yards from Centre Court on Monday morning.
Protesters brought a silver car riddled with bullet holes, accompanied by photographs of children who have been killed in Gaza.
They have accused the bank of complicity in alleged “genocide” in Gaza.
Placards reading ‘Barclays serves Israel’s genocide’ were held by protesters, who were also heard chanting, “Barclays bank you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide”.
Barclays has faced heavy criticism for its alleged relationships with defence firms that produce equipment used by the Israeli Defence Force.
Lewis Backon, 29, campaigns officer for PSC said: “Barclays sponsors big sporting events to cover its accountability in funding the war.”
“I think Barclays has had a lot of reputational damage because it's complicit in Israel's genocide in Palestine.
“We're here to speak to people that are going to this event and say, did you know that one of the main sponsors here is Barlays and this is what they do?
“Last summer, (Barclays) were forced to walk away from all of their sponsorships of music festivals in the UK after hundreds of bands and artists refused to perform at their events.”
An artist participating in the protest created an installation to commemorate Hind Rajab, a five year old who was killed on January 24 last year after her family were ordered to evacuate their home in Gaza by the Israel Defence Force (IDF).
Hind was evacuated with her family in a car which was shot by an IDF tank.
The piece tells her story and is a recreation of the car she was killed in with numbered bullet holes punctured and painted into it.
Andrew McKinlay, 63, from Bognor Regis held a sign saying “give Barclays tennis elbow.”
He has been attending pro-Palestine demonstrations since 2023 and said the crisis is “like a shot in the arm of humanity.”
A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We are proud of our partnership with Wimbledon which supports the growth of The Championships and opportunities for young people across the UK through the Wimbledon Foundation.
“We provide a range of financial services and products to companies supplying defence products to the UK, NATO and its allies. As NATO, as the EU and UK seek to increase their defence capabilities in response to increasing geopolitical threats, the provision of financial products and services to the defence sector is becoming increasingly important.”
Israel has face accusations of genocide from an number of organisation, including Amnesty International, over its actions in the war in Gaza.
The latest figures from the ministry of health in Gaza record that Israel killed at least 54,607 Palestinians and wounded 125,341 between the 7 October attacks and 4 June this year.
It’s figures do not separate civilians from members of Hamas and other armed groups. Israel has denied the genocide allegations.
The protest was peaceful and the group has not been moved by the police.
