Fourteen charged after pro-Palestinian demo outside Thales factory
The protest took place at the Glasgow factory on Wednesday morning.
Police have charged 14 people after pro-Palestinian protesters blockaded a defence and security company, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
More than 100 people blocked entrances to the Thales factory in Glasgow on Wednesday morning, urging the company to end links with Israel.
Demonstrators also called on the UK Government to ban arms exports to Israel.
Police were called to the scene on Linthouse Road at around 4.55am and said two men were arrested in connection with alleged disorder offences while a third man was arrested on warrant.
At around 11.40am, police said they were called to a subsequent disturbance on Govan Road where a further 11 people were arrested in connection with alleged disorder offences, following a probe into an alleged assault on a police officer.
Protesters claimed officers used batons and pepper spray and they described the police response as “disproportionate”.
They said one person went to A&E following the demonstration while another went to a minor injuries unit.
Police Scotland said around 80 people attended a “largely peaceful” protest, and “officers managed the crowd proportionately”.
The force said it launched a probe into the alleged assault on an officer around 30 minutes after the protest was dispersed, which led to a massive police presence on Govan Road.
Following both incidents, police said one officer was injured but did not require treatment and a member of the public was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Local area commander Chief Inspector Derrick Johnston said: “Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and our role is to ensure public safety while balancing the rights of protesters.
“The initial gathering passed largely without incident but the disorder that followed was dangerous and unacceptable.
“There are obvious safety concerns when managing demonstrations and a proportionate policing response brought both incidents to a swift conclusion.
“I would like to thank the wider public for their co-operation.”
He added that those charged are due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date and reports for each will be sent to the procurator fiscal.
Wednesday’s action came after a demonstration outside Thales in May saw four people arrested and six police officers injured.
Thales said it has a small-medium enterprise joint venture (SME JV) with Israeli company Elbit that supplies systems to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) but it does not supply the Israeli military or Israeli defence ministry.
Katy, who works at a Scottish university, was one of those demonstrating on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old, who did not wish to give her surname, said: “In Palestine, homes, hospitals, mosques, churches, schools and universities have been wilfully destroyed by Israel through relentless aerial bombardments.”
She said people in Glasgow “cannot stand by whilst people in Palestine suffer uncountable horrors and humiliation”.
She added: “We are bringing Scottish solidarity to the people of Palestine.”
A Thales spokesman said: “Thales adheres to the UK Government’s industry control system for overseas sales, one of the most rigorous and transparent of its kind in the world.
“In the UK, we have an SME JV with Israeli company Elbit, called U-TacS. This is a UK-registered company that supplies systems to the UK MoD. It does not supply the Israeli military or Israeli MoD.
“As we have said previously, while those outside our site in Glasgow have the right to protest peacefully, we will work with authorities to prosecute anyone who threatens our employees, our property or our important work for the UK armed forces.”
