On Wednesday 14th May two dozen campaigners picketed Allianz’s UK headquarters in Guildford, Surrey. They were individuals from three groups – Woking for Palestine, East Berkshire PSC and West Surrey PSC. They carried placards, and addressed the Allianz staff as they arrived for work.
Several of them peacefully entered the main reception area and read out speeches highlighting Allianz’s indirect complicity in the Ghazzah genocide. Allianz provides Employers Liability Insurance to the Israeli arms manufacture Elbit Systems, for its UK-based factories. It does so despite a January 2024 finding by the International Court of Justice which concluded that Israel’s conduct in Ghazzah could plausibly amount to genocide. Elbit are Israel’s leading weapons builder, and produce parts for its deadly attack drones across a network of facilities in England. The drones have been extensively used in the skies over Ghazzah, killing mainly civilians, including women and children.
A spokesperson confirmed that this wasn’t their first picket of Allianz’s HQ, and that further protests will continue for as long as Allianz enable Elbit to build their weapons. They also confirmed that the group were on site from 7.30am and remained there for most of the morning.
Allianz has a controversial past. It insured several businesses tied to Hitler’s Nazi regime, and appointed one of Hitler’s cabinet members as CEO. In April of this year Allianz Global Investors, part of the Allianz Group, permitted investments in nuclear and conventional weapons companies within its ‘sustainable funds’ portfolio. Any exclusion of such investments would be ‘particularly onerous’ on defence companies, said a spokesperson for Allianz. They didn’t comment on the death and destruction unleashed by said defence companies.
The Israeli Occupation Forces killed an excess of 200 Palestinians and forcibly displaced 300,000 from the northern Gaza Strip in the 48 hours ending Saturday, according to the Ghazzah Media Office. Many were killed by Elbit drones.
Various groups are calling for a multicity phone blockade of Allianz offices tomorrow 20th May. More info: https://linktr.ee/allianz_phoneblockade
©2025 Sul Nowroz – Real Media staff writer Insta: @theafghanwriter
