Pro-Palestine Activists Challenge UK Councils Over Investments Tied to Israel

Grassroots movements in Camden and Waltham Forest push for ethical divestment from arms-linked companies amid growing outrage over Gaza war and suppression of local protests.

London, United Kingdom: Outraged by the onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza, a group of volunteers in London’s Camden borough urged the local council last year to stop investing in companies with ties to Israel.

The petition, led by Camden Friends of Palestine and signed by over 4,200 residents, represented a significant grassroots effort in one of the UK’s most symbolic constituencies. Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, retained his Holborn and St Pancras seat—encompassing most of Camden—during the last general election.

Despite strong support, the petition to divest Camden Council’s pension funds failed. After debate, the council referred the matter of “responsible investment” to its Pension Committee, according to meeting records.

Tensions rose further in recent weeks as the council moved to ban banners, placards, signs, and flags in meetings—a measure believed to be aimed at muting pro-Palestine voices, including posters reading “Stop Genocide” previously displayed at Town Hall sessions.

A spokesperson from Camden Friends of Palestine called the ban “undemocratic and authoritarian,” saying, “These measures are designed to shield the council from criticism and evade accountability. This is not the end. Our solidarity with the people of Palestine is limitless, and we will continue to demand divestment from the Israeli war machine.”

Camden Council told Al Jazeera that while petitions must relate to borough-specific concerns, investment matters are not automatically excluded, as they can impact the borough.

The group continues to meet every Thursday at a local arts centre, welcoming new volunteers and strategizing on campaigns. Members allege their outreach has been met with “extreme hostility,” including police being called on residents, cancelled meetings, and a five-month closure of the public gallery.

In May 2023, with the public gallery still shut, they marked Nakba Day outside a government building. In October, during a silent protest with “Stop Genocide” signs, local police removed demonstrators from the gallery, according to Fitzrovia News.

In June 2024, the group launched “Gaza Week” with speeches at Kentish Town Station to raise awareness about the war, which has killed over 50,000 Palestinians since it began in October 2023. That conflict followed a Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel that left 1,139 people dead and over 200 taken hostage.

Volunteer Archie shared that their events often attract counterprotesters, including “Islamophobic, sort of football hooligan types.” Still, he said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive: “People really enjoy being a part of it… it’s a positive social space in a society where people are increasingly atomised and alienated.” He asked Al Jazeera to withhold his surname due to safety concerns.

Despite setbacks, the group has joined a broader campaign, “Shake the Civ,” to pressure London councils to divest from unethical companies.

Political sociology professor Paul Bagguley of the University of Leeds said this strategy recalls 1980s protests, such as efforts to declare local areas nuclear-free. He explained, “Quite often, the consequences are symbolic—communicating people’s feelings to national-level government. It’s a form of political communication.”

Meanwhile, in Waltham Forest, about seven miles northeast of Camden, activism has seen more immediate success.

In November 2023, residents with the newly formed Waltham Forest for a Free Palestine (WFFP) urged their MP to call for a Gaza ceasefire. In 2024, they launched a divestment campaign—and won.

In July, Waltham Forest Council announced it was updating its ethical investment policy to divest pension funds from arms-related companies, becoming the first UK municipality to do so.

WFFP organiser Jade, 31, said, “As we launched our local divestment campaign, our reach and support grew massively. Over 3,500 people signed our petition within three months last year.”

“We built community power to challenge the bureaucratic violence and inaction of local politicians on key issues like ethical divestment and naming a genocide,” she added.