’Officers were sent to the premises as soon as we were made aware that the protesters had broken into the Allianz premises,’ says superintendent
Specialist police have been dispatched to Allianz’s Guildford headquarters after Palestine Action protesters occupied the building.
In a statement, Surrey Police said that a ”significant amount” of damage has been caused and that protestors have climbed onto a glass canopy above the main entrance to the building.
“A team of officers who are trained in the removal of protesters at height are on their way to the location,” the force said.
“A significant amount of damage has been caused to the outside of the building.
“Staff have been asked to work from home today.”
Superintendent Mark Offord added that no arrests had been made yet, with the protestors yet to be removed.
He said: “Officers were sent to the premises as soon as we were made aware that the protesters had broken into the Allianz premises.
“They have not been arrested yet, as they need to be removed safely first and specially trained officers will be arriving shortly to do that. This may take some time.
“While we recognise the right to protest, there is no excuse for anybody using it as an excuse to engage in criminal activity.”
Allianz response
Palestine Action said it had targeted 10 British offices of Allianz over the insurer’s alleged involvement with Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems.
These include the sites in Guildford, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Lancaster, Belfast, Brimingham, Bristol and Milton Keynes.
Pictures show windows smashed, Palestinian flags hung and red paint sprayed across facades by the protestors.
The vandalism coincides with the first anniversary of the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Allianz said that the “safety and security of our colleagues is paramount” and that several offices have been closed as a result.
An Allianz spokesperson said: “We have had disruption overnight at several of our offices. The safety and security of our colleagues is paramount and we have closed these sites today.
“Our operations and service to customers and clients are unaffected.”
His career began in 2019, when he joined a local north London newspaper after graduating from the University of Sheffield with a first-class honours degree in journalism.
He took up the position of deputy news editor at Insurance Times in March 2023, before being promoted to his current role in May 2024.View full Profile
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