PRO-PALESTINE campaigners staged a demonstration outside a major factory in Glasgow on Wednesday morning as part of a call for an end to arms sales to Israel.

Protesters blockaded the Thales factory in Govan, which produces the Watchkeeper drone, developed with Israeli arms company Elbit Systems, from around 5am.

Activists say the parts manufactured on the site have been sold to the Israeli army for use in its military campaign in Gaza, where more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.

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The action took place on Wednesday to commemorate Nakba Day (which translates to “catastrophe” in Arabic), the date in 1948 when approximately 750,000 civilians were displaced from Palestine to create the state of Israel.

To mark the day, a movement in Palestine is calling for workers around the world to disrupt the flow of arms to Israel.

Activists in Glasgow have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as pressure is mounting on the UK Government to halt arms exports to Israel.

The group claims they, alongside others from across the globe, are enforcing an “arms embargo from below” in the face of “continued lack of action by the UK Government”.

Daniel, a care worker taking part in the action on Wednesday, said his “conscience demands that I do whatever it takes to stop the chain of killing that starts here in my hometown”.

He added: “Every day since October we have seen the Israeli occupying forces murder and torture people in the most grotesque and horrific ways.

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“We've seen babies take their last breath before incubators ran out, children carrying their dead siblings in plastic bags, men dying for lack of basic life-sustaining medication, women giving birth with no healthcare or anaesthetic.

“The Israeli government knows there is no safe place in Gaza, even as they tell people to move again. My conscience demands that I do whatever it takes to stop the chain of killing that starts here in my hometown.”

Jamie, who works at a Scottish university, condemned Scotland’s complicity in the UK’s ties with Israel.

“Scotland is a huge part of the UK’s bloody links to Israel. Our leaders in Holyrood and Westminster aren’t taking action; in fact, they are actively contributing to these horrors.

“That's why we are doing the embargo ourselves, bringing Scottish solidarity to the people of Palestine who have suffered uncountable horrors and humiliation.

“All our eyes are on Rafah right now, but this horror did not start with Rafah – it's been decades of bloody occupation. We can do our bit today to hit the profits of those who value money over human life and dignity.”

Justine, an education worker and trade unionist from Glasgow, said: “Today, on Nakba Day, we are thinking of all those in Palestine since 1948 whose lives have been extinguished and maimed by the occupation and the current genocide.

“We think of the many thousands who have died in prison and those who are still there today, without trial or due process.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "Around 5.05am on Wednesday, May 15 2024, police were called to a report of a demonstration within the grounds of a business premises on Linthouse Road, Govan, Glasgow. Officers remain at the scene."

The National has approached Thales for comment.