Palestine protesters held over ‘Stock Exchange plot’

POLICE yesterday arrested six pro-palestine protesters over an alleged plan to shut down the London Stock Exchange this morning.

Scotland Yard said three men and three women, allegedly belonging to Palestine Action, have been arrested after the group’s apparent plan to block the entrance of the exchange was exposed in an undercover newspaper investigation.

The plan was said to involve two activists, armed with fire extinguishers filled with red paint, who were to climb on a pair of revolving doors at the building’s entrance and chain their necks to it with bike locks, according to a report in the Sunday Express.

Other activists would lock themselves together in front of the main and back entrances and fire fake bank notes painted red to represent blood from “money guns”. These alleged plans came to light after a Sunday Express reporter posed as a member of the group and reported them to the police.

The Met confirmed it had arrested six people on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage following a joint investigation conducted with Merseyside Police.

A 31-year-old man, and two women, aged 28 and 26, were arrested in Liverpool alongside a 23-year-old man in Tower Hamlets, east London, a 29-yearold woman in Brent, north-west London and a 27-year-old man in Brighton.

Det Supt Sian Thomas said: “These are significant arrests. 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.

“I’m grateful to the Express for their willingness to provide the information gleaned from their own investigation. It was instrumental in helping us intervene successfully.”