Pro-Palestine Protesters Target Allianz Building in Guildford

Published on: 9 Oct, 2024
Updated on: 11 Oct, 2024

Protesters in front of the slogan-daubed Allianz building. Photo Palestine Action

By David Reading

Three protesters – said to be supporters of Palestine Action – targeted the Allianz insurance building in Guildford early yesterday (October 8), climbing on to the glass canopy above the entrance and spraying slogans over the windows.

The Guildford Business Park office before it was occupied by Allianz. Google

Palestine Action said it had targeted ten Allianz offices across the UK, including the one at Guildford Business Park. Giving its reasons for the protest, the organisation cited the insurer’s alleged involvement with Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems. A statement said: “Without insurance, Elbit couldn’t operate in Britain.”

It has been reported that the protestors climbed on to a glass canopy of the Guildford building and the words ‘Drop Elbit’ were sprayed over the windows.

Slogans were also daubed on the entrance door. Photo Palestine Action

Surrey police say the protesters were removed and arrested.

Update, October 9: Three people alleged to have been responsible have been charged with aggravated trespass, criminal damage and going equipped to lock on.

They are a 28-year-old woman from London, a 23-year-old woman from Oxford and a 23-year-old man from Dover. The offence of “going equipped to lock on” is defined as attaching oneself to people, objects, or buildings with the intent to cause disruption.

Other Allianz offices targeted include ones in Manchester, Glasgow, Lancaster, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes. Allianz’s London operations in Gracechurch Street and Bishopsgate have also been targeted.

The protests coincide with the first anniversary of the start of the Gaza war.

Palestine Action claims the insurer, a German company, is a major financial backer of Israel’s arms and weapons industry and described Allianz as one of Elbit Systems’ “principle institutional shareholders”.

The protest was targeting Allianz as providers of insurance cover for defence electronics company Elbit. Photo Palestine Action

A Surrey police statement says: “We were called to the premises this morning after three people, believed to be from the pro-Palestinian protest network Palestine Action, climbed onto a glass canopy above the main entrance to the building.

“A team of officers who are trained in the removal of protesters at height were in attendance.

“A man and two women were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and are currently in custody. Enquiries remain ongoing.”

The Insurance Times reported an Allianz spokesperson saying: “We have had disruption overnight at several of our offices. The safety and security of our colleagues is paramount and we have closed these sites today.

“Our operations and service to customers and clients are unaffected.”

Responses to Pro-Palestine Protesters Target Allianz Building in Guildford

Olly Azad Reply

October 9, 2024 at 2:17 am

If the express wish of the pro-Palestine protesters is to take a stand against the recent death and destruction in the Middle East, defacing and vandalising buildings with graffiti and slogans is not the answer.

Apart from gaining a criminal record, little else can be achieved from such behaviour and actions.

Besides, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) do a damned sight better to address social and political issues than some of these protesters.
Mark Kitchen Reply

October 9, 2024 at 10:54 am

I am glad I don’t work at Allianz anymore. I don’t want to be supporting this horrible war.
Ali Stein Reply

October 10, 2024 at 8:46 am

Three protestors charged by police. Let’s hope for consistency of sentencing with those involved in the summer unrest.
Ben Paton Reply

October 12, 2024 at 11:18 pm

Where does “complicity” begin and end? Millions of people (literally) buy their home and motor insurance from Allianz and its subsidiaries. They probably don’t know that Allianz is the parent company. Are they all “complicit”?

Millions of people buy oil and gas products – directly and indirectly. A proportion of these come from Iran and from Syria. Are all these people “complicit”?

Millions of people indirectly consume the services of satellite and software and telecom companies – some of which incorporate Israeli products. Are they all “complicit”?

Let’s accept that millions of people are indirectly complicit, if only because we live in an interconnected world.

What is the utility of force or violence in these circumstances? Will it actually move the needle? Does it make anything better? Certainly it imposes a cost – that companies like Allianz ultimately recover from their customers.

It is a very roundabout argument to claim that if you want peace in the Middle East you should engage in violence and crime in provincial England. There are more direct and more intelligent ways of going about it.

The great Mahatma had it right when he said that if you believe in an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” we shall all end up blind and toothless.
Anthony Mallard Reply

October 16, 2024 at 11:49 am

Whilst I would never deny the right of people to demonstrate for or against a particular issue or passion, I have always wondered, beyond the obvious expression of support or protest, what meaningful difference it makes. As far as I can see, none.

Those against whom the protest is made are often geographically miles away and probably don’t even know it’s happening and if they do, don’t care about the disruption such protests cause to people going about their lawful business, traffic, etc.

What such protests do is to remove police officers from the day to day important local community role of prevention of crime and the arrest of offenders, as well as increasing the vulnerability of local communities to crime and anti-social behaviour.