PROTESTERS will target shops across Britain tomorrow as part of a new boycott campaign in response to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The Don’t Buy Apartheid campaign urges consumers, shops, restaurants, and venues to show solidarity with Palestinians by boycotting Israeli produce and Coca-Cola.

Launched by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, protests are set to take place across the country, with the main rally taking place outside Sainsburys in London’s Camden today from 11am.

Fifty-two actions will take place over the weekend, including protests outside Tesco outside Birmingham New Street, Asda Southampton superstore, and Sainsbury’s on Northumberland Street in Newcastle.

Shops across Britain stock Israeli produce such as avocados, peppers, herbs and dates.

But Israeli agricultural export companies, like Hadiklaim, Mehadrin and Edom, operate farms and packing houses in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. 

Operating in these settlements is illegal, and the appropriation of Palestinian resources like water is a war crime according to international law.

Coca-Cola Israel owns a regional distribution centre and cooling houses in the illegal Atarot Settlement in occupied Jerusalem. 

The boycott targets all Coca-Cola’s brands including Schweppes, Fanta, Sprite, Innocent and Costa Coffee.

Barclays branches will also be targeted today in Bradford, Carlisle, Luton, over the bank’s links with Israeli arms firms.

Today, new research by campaign group Boycott Bloody Insurance revealed that major insurance companies have pumped millions into the arms industry over recent months. 

The group looked at how much money is invested in firms linked to “controversial weapons,” which include white phosphorous, depleted uranium and nuclear weapons. 

It found that major insurance companies active in the British market pumped $260 million (£200m) more towards companies involved in the production of these weapons in December 2024 compared to September 2024.

British company Aviva was among the firms betting on growing global violence, increasing their investment into companies linked to controversial weapons to £1.36 billion.

Allianz, AXA, and Zurich, also grew their investments in these firms.

Andrew Taylor from the campaign said: “As global conflict and uncertainty escalate, these titans of the financial services sector are rushing money behind firms who will benefit from more conflict, more war and more chaos.

“We urgently need de-escalation of global violence, and are calling on businesses and organisations to boycott all insurance companies which invest in, and underwrite, firms involved in or associated with these controversial weapons.”

Another report by the group released earlier this year looked at the insurance industry’s involvement in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. 

It found that major insurers including Allianz, Aviva, AXA, Zurich, and RSA collectively invested over $1.7bn (£1.34bn) in companies supplying military equipment used by Israel since October 7 2023. 

Monika Nielsen, the researcher for the campaign, said: “Millions of people in the UK have been profoundly shocked by Israel’s genocide in Gaza. 

“And they will be horrified to discover that the firms insuring their local councils, workplaces, places of worship or universities are the same companies funding and underwriting the production of the weapons Israel is using to blow up Palestinians’ homes, hospitals, schools and families. 

“These firms don’t need to insure arms companies. We are calling on people to boycott them until they stop.”

Ahead of today’s national day of action, a Stop the War Coalition spokeswoman said: “We urge all our groups, activists and supporters to get out on the streets this Saturday, in their towns and communities, to build for the national day of demonstrations for Palestine on April 12 and demand that their MPs oppose the government’s massive increase in defence spending while slashing the benefits of disabled people and many of the poorest in our society. 

“[Prime Minister Sir Keir] Starmer’s militarism doesn’t just enable the genocide in Gaza, but it will lead to war more generally and we must do all we can to ensure that ‘welfare not warfare’ becomes the dominant slogan of our age.”