Activists from a youth group staged a protest at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, spray-painting the words “Genocide Conference” outside the building in response to the UK government’s continued arms sales to Israel.
In a statement, Youth Demand condemned the Labour Party’s decision to allow arms exports to Israel despite significant public opposition.
The group noted that the majority of UK citizens support a full arms embargo on Israel and the government has largely ignored this position. A spokesperson for Youth Demand, the group that spearheaded the protest, said:
Labour is still arming Israel despite a majority of the public backing a complete arms embargo. Despite admitting there is a “clear risk of serious violation of international humanitarian law,” they have spinelessly suspended less than 10% of arms licenses.
The UK government has acknowledged that British-made weapons could be used in violation of international law. However, Youth Demand has criticised Labour’s limited response, which it believes does not adequately address public concerns.
The government recently announced the suspension of 30 out of 350 licences to export arms to Israel following a vetting exercise, citing a clear risk that the export of some British weapons could contribute to serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The suspended licences cover components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and ground target designators, but exclude British components for the F-35 fighter jet programme.
