Youth Demand activists disrupted London’s Pride parade by throwing red paint at a float in a pro-Palestine protest on Saturday.
Several campaigners have been arrested after they blocked US-based company Cisco’s float in central London, accusing the company of being “complicit in genocide” and “hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing”.
Four Youth Demand activists threw red paint over the float at around 12:30pm as it passed along Piccadilly. They then sat down in the road and glued themselves to the float, chanting “we charge you with genocide”.
The Parade was delayed for about an hour while the group were removed, with five arrests made.
The group said on social media: “Technology corporation CISCO has a long standing partnership with the Israeli military and enables the mass murder of Palestinians through advanced military communication networks facilitated by their Unified Communication systems. They have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride.
“They are not only complicit in war crimes but actively enabling military communications in an apartheid state. We demand a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pinkwashing of complicit corporations.”
According to Youth Demand, one of the protestors, Reya Wood, 22, a student from Swansea, said: “I am taking action against Cisco at London Pride to highlight the company’s complicity in genocide and how they are hiding their crimes behind a veil of pink washing.
As a queer woman, this action is particularly meaningful to me. I refuse to stand aside and allow my queer identity to be exploited for commercial gain at the hands of war criminals.”
The protesters were pictures being arrested and taken away by police.
The Independent has contacted Cisco and the Met Police for comment. A spokesperson from the force told the Mail Online: “Met officers have arrested five people after Youth Demand protesters disrupted the Pride event in central London.
“At around 12:30hrs four members of the group threw red paint over a truck involved in the parade and glued themselves to the vehicle outside The Ritz.
“They were removed by specialist officers and arrested. A fifth member of the group was arrested in the crowd.
“The parade has resumed and a significant policing operation remains in place.”
The protest happened a short distance away from a separate protest taking place in support of recently proscribed group Palestine Action.
Over 20 people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences at a Palestine Action protest where dozens stood silently beneath the statue of Mahatma Ghandi in Parliament Square.
The protesters were holding placards that said: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”.
It came hours after Palestine Action lost a late-night Court of Appeal challenge on Friday which sought to stop the protest group being banned.
The move was confirmed less than two hours before the new legislation came into force at midnight.
The designation as a terror group means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The protest started at about 1.10pm and officers were seen taking people away shortly after 1.30pm.
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