Two people have been arrested and charged after protesting outside a Labour fundraising dinner in Glasgow attended by Sir Keir Starmer. The man and woman, aged 33 and 26 respectively, have been charged with “disorder offences”. The protest was in response to Starmer’s refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Campaigners gathered at Glasgow Central Station where Sir Keir arrived by train. The Labour leader was then confronted by a train passenger in a video posted on social media.
Activists waited for Sir Keir outside the station with Palestinian flags, shouting “war criminal” and “you should be in prison”. After he got into a Range Rover, protesters surrounded the car shouting “child murderer”. The demonstration continued outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel where officers had been stationed since Thursday afternoon. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also faced criticism “for supporting genocide”.
Last month, 10 Labour frontbenchers resigned to vote for an SNP motion in the Commons backing a ceasefire, going against Sir Keir’s orders. The Labour leader instead supported pauses in the conflict to deliver aid. Police Scotland said there were no reported injuries from the protest. Earlier that day, campaigners staged a blockade at the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow, in opposition to its links with Israel. BAE said it complied with relevant defence export controls and was “horrified” by the situation in the Israel-Gaza region.
The Labour party has struggled to maintain party unity over the conflict in Gaza. Some MPs, including Shadow Communities Secretary Steve Reed, have condemned targeting civilians in Israel and Gaza and have called for a ceasefire. However, Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy defended Sir Keir’s position, stating that his aid-focused response was “absolutely the right thing to do”. The controversy comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Palestine, as well as increasing criticism of the UK government’s response to the conflict
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