Pro-Palestine activists spray-paint Barclays Eagle Labs

Activists protested Barclays’ alleged support for arms companies providing weapons to Israel

Barclays responded that "the defence sector is fundamental to our national security"Samuel Li for Varsity

by Faron Smith

Monday August 18 2025, 5:15pm

Pro-Palestine activists sprayed Barclays’ Eagle Labs Centre in Cambridge with red paint on Sunday (17/08), protesting the bank’s alleged investments in arms companies providing weapons to Israel.

An Instagram post shared by Cambridge Artists for Palestine, Organisation of Radical Cambridge Activists (ORCA) and Cambridge for Palestine (C4P) showed the building splashed with red paint.

Activists took similar action against the University of Cambridge’s head offices in March, as well as against Trinity College chapel in December 2024.

Barclays describes its Eagle Labs as an “entrepreneurial network supporting ambitious startups and scaleups,” intended to support small businesses and startups.

The labs have two locations in Cambridge, on Chesterton Road and in the Bradfield Centre. The protest targeted only the Chesterton Road site.

In an Instagram post, activists criticised Barclays’ presentation of Eagle Labs as a “community-minded” initiative, accusing it of “complicity” in “Gaza’s devastation”.

Activists claimed that: “The bank has invested over £2 billion and provided £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting to arms companies supplying israel’s assault on Palestinians.”

The Telegraph reported in June 2024 that the University of Cambridge was considering cutting ties with Barclays due to concerns regarding its investments in fossil fuels.

A Barclays spokesperson said: “We provide vital financial services to US, UK and European public companies that supply defence products to NATO and its allies. Barclays does not directly invest in these companies.

Student protesters glue Cambridge Barclays shut

“The defence sector is fundamental to our national security and decisions on the implementation of arms embargos to other nations are the job of respective elected governments.

“Protest groups have criticised Barclays for providing these vital services. They have resorted to intimidating our staff, repeated vandalism of our premises and online harassment.

“The safety of our colleagues and customers is our priority and we have additional measures in place such as increased security presence and surveillance technology,” they added.

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