How Cambridge coalition of protesters brought Barclays bank branch to standstill

Protesters staged a protest both outside and inside Barclays in the centre of Cambridge to demand an end to the bank’s investments in fossil fuel activities and its investments in Israel’s military machine this weekend.

Activists entered the St Andrew’s Street branch shortly after it opened at 9.30am on Saturday and commenced a sit-in in the main foyer: others were outside the branch with placards, with leaflets being distributed to passers-by.

By 11am, there were 26 activists inside the bank, which was still open to customers at that point. Staff and customers continued their activities, though one disgruntled customer, who kept saying “Excuse me” as he tried to exit the building, eventually said to the seated protesters: “Haven’t you got anything better to do with your day?”

“What are you doing with your day?” replied one protester.

“I’m off to see my children,” said the customer.

“There are 10,000 dead children in Gaza,” said the protester.

Speakers inside the bank voiced their concerns, which they described as Barclays’ “investments in coal, oil and gas [which] are fuelling climate breakdown”, plus its “investing in Israel’s violent repression of the Palestinian people”. Though both these assertions have been reiterated for many years, there are three additional factors which made this 2024 event different.

One is the collaboration involved. Saturday’s protesters included members of Cambridge Climate Justice, Cambridge Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Cambridge Stop the War, Cambridge University Palestine Society, Extinction Rebellion Cambridge, Just Stop Oil Cambridge, Organisation of Radical Cambridge Activists and Silent Rebellion.

Secondly, this was the first ‘occupation’ in a Cambridge bank since sweeping new police powers were granted in the Public Order Act 2023: the new powers granted under Section 7 of the Act have encouraged UK police to be more proactive in dealing with activists who block roads in the capital. The Act bans any action that “interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure”. In the four months after the Act was made law in October 2023, a record 657 Just Stop Oil activists were arrested, 338 charged, and 30 were imprisoned. A demonstration, however peaceful, inside a bank could have gone any number of ways.

However, the Barclays team remained helpful and accommodating even when a police office appeared in the foyer at 11.34am – and the staff’s civilised response may have helped to deescalate the situation.

Thirdly, it became apparent that watching reports of what has been happening in Gaza since Hamas launched its October 7 attacks in southern Israel with a loss of 1,200 lives has had a very significant effect on many of the speakers. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from over three months of war between Israel and the territory's Hamas rulers passed 25,000, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday.

“The whole world is being stretched apart and we are powerless,” said one speaker to her fellow protesters, with Barclays clientele and staff going about their business.

“It’s bleak. I don’t want to live in a world like this. I don’t want to see so much pain in the world. There are huge losses taking place everywhere at all times… We can change this planet.

“We have to change before our world forces us to change and we can do that. We’re going to stop this war and save the planet.”

The speaker added: “I’m a student of the University of Cambridge and I’m ashamed of the silence about the destruction in Gaza. The silence is deafening. The University has such a big influence, and its response has been pathetic, shameful and disappointing. Children are being blown to bits. They are having limbs amputated without anaesthetic. Free Palestine!”

As the group went into a 15-minute silent meditation, led by the Cambridge Silent Rebellion group, the protesters outside became much more vocal, accompanied by a drummer and using an amplification system.

One speaker near the St Andrew’s Street bus stop described the appalling effects of the munitions that have been dropped on Gaza.

“Barclays must commit to ending all investments and financial services which are involved in violence against civilians,” she concluded. (War on Want has identified shares worth over £1.3billion owned by Barclays in companies supplying Israel with weapons and military technology.)

Back inside the St Andrew’s Street building, another of the 26 lie-in/sit-in protesters stood up to say that he had been resident in South Africa 40 years ago.

“On the day South Africa became independent, Barclays announced that it was against apartheid and I reopened my account,” he said. “I thought that they had changed.”

Next up, a speaker and University of Cambridge student said in the Barclays foyer that the finance system is endemically unfair, noted that “80 per cent of the world’s population lives on under £7.90 ($10) a day” and concluded that “we in the west are routinely shielded from our deeply shameful history, and so are condemned to repeat it daily”.

She added: “Palestine is a slice of what the majority of the world will look like with increasing climate collapse – militarised border fences, with water, air, food, land and electricity violently controlled by oppressing states.”

Shortly after that the doors were shut and the noise outside increased. Inside the bank, a female protester said: “I don’t want there to be so much pain in the world, and you can feel it in the air. The optimism of the start of the century has been replaced by terrible anxiety.”

At that point - 11.34am - the police officer entered. He had some discussions with staff, went upstairs and reappeared at 11.43am.

A speaker from the contingent of protesters occupying the centre of the bank appeared to be addressing staff when he said: “The way change happens is when people like yourselves, working in institutions like this, start talking to your colleagues and your seniors, tell them ‘I’m feeling uncomfortable about what this bank is doing, maybe we are funding genocide in Palestine, we are funding fossil fuels’. And all these terrible things could be happening to your children, so be a changemaker, see what you can do with your position of responsibility. Keep trying to communicate, keep trying to reach out to people - keep on being a pain in the butts!”

The protesters vacated the building at around 12.30pm. The protest continued as a march and made its way from St Andrew’s Street to market square, where more speeches and chants were voiced.

A University of Cambridge spokesperson said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives in Gaza and Israel, and the fate of hostages. We understand this is a hugely difficult and distressing time, particularly for students and staff with connections to the region. As a university, we’re focused on the well-being of our people – the students and staff in our community. It’s more important than ever that we try to draw together as a community and support each other at a time like this.”

Barclays was contacted.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson confirmed that “all went without issue – no arrests made”.