Campaigners from across Devon gathered at County Hall on Thursday (August 5), calling on the council to divest funds from companies that sell arms to Israel.

More than 30 people protested outside in the rain before handing in a petition urging Devon County Council (DCC) to withdraw £84 million invested in firms linked to weapons sales to Israel.

These include BAE Systems, Babcock, Barclays Bank and Rolls Royce Holdings.

The move comes just days after the UK government announced that it was suspending 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel over “international humanitarian law concerns”.

Israel has been bombing Gaza relentlessly since last year after Hamas militants crossed the border and killed 1,180 people, mostly civilians, on October 7.

In response, Israel has so far killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza, mainly women and children, and ignored repeated calls for a ceasefire.

Members of the Totnes Friends of Palestine, and Exeter and North Devon Palestine Solidarity Campaigns (PSC) took part in the protest.

Totnes councillor Jacqui Hodgson, who put forward the motion to DCC, said before the gathering: “We urgently need to stop the flow of cash that is propping up the arms industry and the sales of arms to Israel. This means divestment of the huge Council pension funds that are indirectly enabling this horrific genocide of Palestinians.

“Devon County Council can do its bit to bring on the ceasefire and join other local councils that have taken this step on behalf of the thousands of people in this county who want to see an end to this war.”

Lizi Allnatt from Exeter PSC said the government’s suspension of some arms sales to Israel showed that DCC need to consider how their pension funds are being used.

Speaking to this paper, she was asked if the UK’s action would make much difference, given that its arms exports to Israel amount to only 1 per cent.

“It's about looking at international law, and it doesn't matter whether you supply 1 per cent or 99 per cent if you’re supplying weapons to a country that, at the moment, is being investigated for potential breach of international war and genocide.

“At the end of the day, regardless of political allegiances, everyone has to look at themselves and say whether they actually think that that is the best way to spend money...that there is nothing better that they could be investing in.”

A number of councils across the UK have made moves to divest from firms linked to weapons sales to Israel. In July, Waltham Forest said it would look to pull its pension funds while stressing that the process would “take time”.

Islington Council also hinted it would not be renewing its banking contract with Barclays next year following concerns about the bank’s business links with Israel.

Calls to divest pre-date the current conflict in Gaza, however. Lancaster City Council passed a motion in 2021 to “condemn Israel’s breaches of international law” and the killing of Palestinian civilians.

The same year, East Sussex Pension Fund divested funds from Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private arms manufacturer.