Pro-Palestine Protesters have been campaigning this week for action to be taken by Sheffield City Council in opposing the actions of Israel.
The Sheffield Campaign Against Israeli Apartheid support group provides assistance for Palestinians in Sheffield.
They gathered outside the Town Hall and Barclays bank on Pinestone Street in the city centre on the 9th and 10th of February.
Vivienne, a member of the group who did not wish to give her surname, said: “It’s disgusting – they’re (Israel) in defiance of the international court of justice and they’re taking no notice of any of the pleas from people around the world, whilst also destroying refugee charities that are trying to help the Palestinians.
“That’s what it’s about and it needs calling out.”
Another protestor who did not want to give his full name, Pete said: “I just think it’s up to places like Sheffield City Council, we’d like them to actually stand up and be councillors, and say we want a ceasefire now. We do not want to support Israel.
“We’re calling for boycotts of any firms such as Barclays, which the council uses – they are absolutely intrinsic to Israel, we want them to stop banking with them and take a stand.”
Some residents also had a stand outside the bank overnight and at Sheffield station, attempting to highlight the injustice they say Barclays is supporting.
The bank was closed temporarily over the weekend during the 24-hour camp, “due to circumstances beyond our control”.
The group could be heard shouting “Free Palestine” and waving green and red flags.
According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s website, Barclays has invested over £1 billion in companies supplying weapons to Israel.
The website says: “We’re calling on concerned people to boycott all Barclays services until the bank ends its grave complicity in Israel’s attacks on Palestinians.
Barclays must #StopBankingOnApartheid and #StopBankingOnGenocide.”
This comes as news of Israel’s military claims it has captured terror suspects during a raid on southern Gaza’s main hospital, with staff and patients forced to flee under gunfire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his troops will advance on the Gazan city of Rafah this week, defying outside pleas to reconsider.