PROTESTERS in Aberystwyth held an event outside the town’s HSBC bank as part of a national protest about the bank’s links with companies that sell weapons and military technology to Israel.

The Aberystwyth protest was one of a string of events across the UK as part of the #StopArmingIsrael day of action on Saturday, 15 September and is aimed at getting HSBC to end its links with Elbit Systems and companies arming Israel which protesters say violates Palestinians’ human rights.

Ian Bell, one of the protesters who took part in the event in Aberystwyth, said: “The UK is complicit in Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights through our arms trade.

“Despite the illegality of Israel’s occupation and apartheid system, the UK is one of the main arms exporters to Israel as well as a major purchaser of Israeli weapons and weapon technology.

“The chain of complicity extends to various corporate stakeholders who profit from Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, including UK high street bank HSBC, and to the local level with links to sharing UAV technology at the drone base in Aberporth. HSBC holds over £800m worth of shares in, and is involved in syndicated loans worth over £19bn to companies that sell weapons and military equipment to the Israeli government.

“The protest was very well received by passers-by, who were happy to be handed leaflets and action cards calling on HSBC to change its investments, and were entertained with songs of solidarity with Palestine from the street choir Côr Gobaith.”