Palestine Action has targeted 10 British offices of Allianz, the world’s largest insurance firm and a major financial backer of Israel’s arms trade – and therefore, its ongoing genocide in Gaza and assaults on other countries in the Middle East.
Palestine Action targeting Allianz
Nation-wide, Allianz branches have been sprayed in a symbol of the Palestinian bloodshed by Palestine Action. This was Manchester:
It was a similar scene in Bristol:
And Glasgow:
Palestine Action hit Belfast:
Allianz targeted in Belfast to demand the firm stops investing in and insuring Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems.
In total, ten Allianz offices received the Palestine Action treatment. pic.twitter.com/W6flS6ZxFo
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) October 8, 2024
Meanwhile, the Guildford HQ is currently being occupied as part of Palestine Action’s ongoing campaign against companies enabling Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems. The headquarters remains shut down as activists have occupied the front overhang and covered the premises in paint and messages such as ‘Drop Elbit’:
BREAKING: Palestine Action target 10 offices owned by Allianz, investors and insurers of Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems. Without insurance, Elbit couldn’t operate in Britain.
Nine actions occurred overnight and the company’s Guildford HQ remains occupied! pic.twitter.com/Ul53sg5tkQ
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) October 8, 2024
The Allianz offices which have been targeted are:
- Guildford, 57 Ladymead, GU1 1DB
- Manchester, Landmark, St Peters Square, 1 Oxford Street, M1 4PB
- Glasgow, 58 Waterloo Street, G2 7DA
- Lancaster, 4 Mannin Way, Lancaster Business Park, LA1 3SW
- Belfast, Clockwise Offices, River House, BT1 2BE
- London, 60 Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0HR
- London, 199 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3TY
- Birmingham, Colmore Plaza, B4 6AT
- Bristol, 10 Victoria Street, BS1 6BN
- Milton Keynes, Witan Gate House, Witan Gate
Allianz: the tip of the genocide-enabling iceberg
Allianz has previously been described as Elbit’s “principle institutional shareholder”, at-one-point owning over 2% of the company. The finance company continues to hold thousands of shares in Elbit Systems Ltd, while its subsidiary ‘Allianz Insurance Products Trust’ provides insurance services for Elbit Systems UK, including employment insurance.
One year on from the start of the genocide in Gaza, these nationwide action serves as a reminder that, throughout the past twelve months, Western capital has continued to profit from the mass murder of Palestinians. Allianz’ profit books, its returns on its investments, have been bolstered by the hundreds of military technologies which Elbit provides in service of genocide.
Elbit provides over 85% of Israel’s drones, including the quadcopters used to assassinate countless Palestinian men, women, and children, and has publicly advertised its weaponry as being “battle-tested” on Palestinians. Its business operations are central to Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and its technologies uphold the brutal occupation regime.
The campaign against Elbit’s backers has seen the likes of Barclays and BNY Mellon shut down repeatedly, to raise-the-stakes of their dealings with genocide.
Shut it down
Palestine Action said in a statement:
If Allianz refuses to understand that dealing with Elbit is immoral, it must be made clear that maintaining its involvement will become increasingly unprofitable.
Palestine Action will continue until all of Elbit’s backers cut their links or shut down.
Featured image via Neil Terry and additional images via Neil Terry and Palestine Action
