ARTISTS shut down an exhibition of their work at a Manchester gallery today after material critical of Israel was removed by the venue’s bosses.

Supporters of the Palestinian cause protested at the “censorship” by Manchester University’s Whitworth Gallery, as visitors arrived to find the doors locked.

The Cloud Studies exhibition features nine investigations into states’ use of weapons such as tear gas, bombs and chemicals to control and subjugate people.

It is being mounted by the Forensic Architecture group, following investigations in Chile, Indonesia, the US state of Louisiana, England, the Lebanese capital Beirut, Syria and Palestine.

In Palestine, they investigated Israeli human rights abuses, military action – including the use of white phosphorus – and environmental destruction caused by herbicides.

The exhibition included a statement by the artists supporting Palestine, with references to Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

The text was removed by the gallery following objections from pro-zionist groups including UK Lawyers for Israel.

After the artists closed the exhibition in protest yesterday, demonstrators at the gallery called on the university to “rescind its censorship so that the exhibition may continue.”

John Nicholson of Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: “We totally support the rights of the artists to make their own views clear and condemn the university for its cowardice in trying to censor this excellent forensic art.”

One of the artists, Eyal Weissman, addressed the protest and thanked the protesters for their support.

In a statement, the university said: “We apologise for any inconvenience regarding the Whitworth Gallery today. 

“A notice was issued yesterday that it would be closed today due to reinstallation and we had understood that signs to this effect were being put up at the gallery to avoid any disappointment and inconvenience.”