Anti-Semitic activists arrested for plotting to shut down London Stock Exchange, causing significant economic damage
‘Palestine Action will not back down,’ group vows in statement responding to arrests
Six members of a notorious anti-Semitic activist group were arrested in the United Kingdom after plotting to inflict “significant disruption to Israel’s weapons trade” by shutting down the London Stock Exchange.
U.K. police announced the arrests Sunday, noting in a statement that all six perpetrators are members of Palestine Action, an anti-Semitic activist group that endorsed Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the Jewish state. The group’s members intended to cause “huge economic damage” by chaining their necks to London Stock Exchange entrances on Monday, ensuring that those who wished to enter the exchange could not do so without hurting the agitators, according to the Daily Express.
“These are significant arrests,” Metropolitan Police detective superintendent Sian Thomas said in a statement. “We believe this group was ready to carry out a disruptive and damaging stunt which could have had serious implications had it been carried out successfully.”
Since Hamas’s terrorist assault on Israel, Palestine Action has carried out dozens of illegal demonstrations—which the group refers to as “direct actions”—against Israeli defense companies and other friends of the Jewish state.
The group’s American spin-off, Palestine Action U.S., has especially targeted Elbit Systems, an Israeli company that provides the Jewish state with counterterrorism equipment. Late last year, for example, the group’s members clashed with police outside the company’s Boston office in a demonstration that the group said “completely halted” Elbit’s business. The radical group also defaced Elbit’s Washington, D.C.-area office with graffiti reading “Free Palestine” and “War Criminals Work Here,” the Washington Free Beacon reported in November.
While those demonstrations have led to the arrests of Palestine Action members, the group’s London Stock Exchange plot seems to mark an escalation in the group’s tactics. That escalation could spell trouble for James “Fergie” Chambers, an avowed communist whose family controls the Cox Enterprises empire. Chambers cut ties with his family last year and secured “multiple hundreds of millions of dollars” in the process—money that he has used to fund Palestine Action U.S.
It’s unclear if Chambers, who did not return a request for comment, contributed to the group’s London Stock Exchange plot. Chambers did, however, promote the plot on social media and call to “doxx” the Daily Express journalist who informed U.K. police of Palestine Action’s plans. Federal agencies in the United States have already “received intelligence” that Palestine Action U.S. could threaten homeland security and heed calls from Hamas to carry out terror attacks, Los Angeles magazine reported.
Doxx this Journo https://t.co/03zEap0Da1
— Fergie Chambers 🇵🇸🇷🇺🇾🇪🇹🇳 (@jccfergie) January 15, 2024
Palestine Action did not return a request for comment. In a Monday statement, the group railed against the London Stock Exchange for the exchange’s “relationship” with “Israel’s regime” and pledged to “remain steadfast in our direct action campaign against the Israeli weapons trade and those who facilitate.” The group’s plan to shut down the London Stock Exchange was foiled after the Daily Express reporter infiltrated the group, learned of the plan, and informed police.
“Now more than ever, as Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people has seen over 25,000 killed, more than 60,000 injured and the majority of the Gaza population displaced, Palestine Action will not back down,” the group vowed in its statement.
Much like its British counterpart, Palestine Action U.S. has railed against “colonizing Israeli scum” and pledged to dismantle the “Zionist War Machine.” Chambers has used his sizable inheritance to cover legal costs for the group’s members as they target Israel’s allies with vandalism and harassment, actions that Chambers says are part of a broader effort to popularize attacks against Jews.
“We need to start making people who support Israel actually afraid to go out in public,” Chambers said in November. “We need to make all of white America afraid that everything they have stolen is going to be burned to the ground. That’s what makes them listen.”
Both Chambers and Palestine Action have defended Hamas and its Oct. 7 attack, which included the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli women and children. Chambers said one week after the attack that “no faction of the Palestinian resistance, Hamas or other, has done *anything* wrong,” while Palestine Action referred to the attack as a “fight for freedom from occupation and apartheid.”
What concerns have arisen regarding the activities of Palestine Action U.S. and their potential threat to national security
Edium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_desktop” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>alerted authorities to their plot.
The statement from Palestine Action emphasized their determination to continue their activism against Israel’s weapons trade, despite the setbacks. It also criticized the London Stock Exchange for its alleged association with Israel’s regime. The group expressed their belief that direct action is necessary and vowed to persist in their efforts to disrupt the Israeli defense companies and their supporters.
The incident at the London Stock Exchange marks an escalation in Palestine Action’s tactics. While the group has previously carried out illegal demonstrations and clashed with authorities, their plan to physically chain themselves to the entrance of a major financial institution demonstrates a more aggressive approach with potential serious implications.
It is worth noting that the group’s American spin-off, Palestine Action U.S., has also made headlines for its activities targeting Israeli defense companies. The group, led by James “Fergie” Chambers, an avowed communist who broke away from his wealthy family, has been accused of using his family’s wealth to fund the organization. There are concerns that Palestine Action U.S. may pose a threat to homeland security in the United States, as authorities have reportedly received intelligence suggesting the group could carry out terror attacks at the behest of Hamas.
Despite the arrests and potential consequences, Palestine Action remains defiant. The group’s determination to disrupt the Israeli weapons trade and the entities that support it remains steadfast. It is unclear how these recent events will impact the future actions and influence of Palestine Action and its affiliates.
Conclusion
The recent arrests of members of Palestine Action in the United Kingdom have shed light on the group’s aggressive tactics and their ongoing campaign against Israel’s weapons trade. While the group’s plan to shut down the London Stock Exchange was foiled, their statement in response to the arrests reflects a commitment to continuing their direct action against Israeli defense companies and their supporters. The incident raises concerns about the group’s escalation in tactics and the potential implications of their actions. Furthermore, the activities of Palestine Action U.S., led by James “Fergie” Chambers, have raised additional alarms regarding possible threats to national security. Despite these setbacks and potential consequences, Palestine Action remains resolute in its mission, ensuring the continuance of their activism against the Israeli weapons trade.
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