JSO inspired Youth Demand line up fake BODY BAGS outside David Lammy’s home before road block as they demand an end to British arms exports to Israel

Youth Demand protesters have wreaked havoc across London today after placing fake body bags outside the Foreign Secretary’s house and blocking several roads.  

Two members of the campaign group, which is looking to follow in the footsteps of renowned eco-activists Just Stop Oil, laid child-sized body bags outside David Lammy’s home at around 11am this morning. 

Live-in carer Cristy North and Sue Houseman also drapped a sign over the Labour minister’s hedge, which read ‘Lammy Stop Arming Genocide’. 

Just hours earlier, two groups of Youth Demand protesters began blocking traffic at Commercial Street, Angel Junction and Tower Bridge, causing misery for busy commuters in the capital. 

The groups could be seen holding banners which read ‘Youth Demand an End to Genocide’ and ‘Stop Arming Israel’ written in orange – the colour used by JSO. 

Youth Demand is planning daily co-ordinated actions to ‘shut down’ London every day this month with ‘swarming road-blocks’ and warned of further road disruptions later today. 

The group is calling on the Government to end to British arms exports to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza and to tax the ‘fossil fuel elite’ to compensate communities and counties harmed by fossil fuel burning. 

Youth Demand protesters are spoken to by police after placing fake body bags outside the Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s house

Two members of the campaign group laid child-sized body bags outside David Lammy’s home at around 11am this morning

Activists from Youth Demand block traffic in Tower Bridge Road in central London earlier this morning – causing misery for busy commuters going about their day

Sue Houseman, a mother from Lancaster, was one of the women who protested outside David Lammy’s house this morning.  

She said: ‘For years I’ve worked with children, helping them understand what’s right and what’s wrong and giving them the confidence to use their voice and to speak up. Our government is breaking international humanitarian law and they are allowing Israel to murder children en-masse. 

‘We’re providing them with the resources, the bombs, the surveillance equipment they need to kill children day in, day out and the UK government are not doing anything to stop it. 

‘If, like me, you are not prepared to put up with that, then please take action this April with Youth Demand.’ 

Cristy North, 37, a live-in carer from Nottingham, was also outside the Foreign Secratary’s house this morning. 

She said: ‘How can we be trading with and arming a genocidal state? The UK government is breaking domestic and international law by doing so.

‘I cannot sit back and watch a genocide take place. I originally come from South Africa. I was a lot younger when apartheid was happening there and I couldn’t do anything about it, but I saw the trauma and the effect it has had on people there and it makes me incredibly sad for this to be happening now in Palestine. 

‘We cannot sit back and do nothing, we must call on the government to impose a trade embargo on Israel, because as we saw with apartheid in South Africa, that was the final nail in the coffin that ended apartheid.’

Live-in carer Cristy North, 37, and Sue Houseman, a mother from Lancaster, also drapped a sign over the Labour minister’s hedge, which read ‘Lammy Stop Arming Genocide’

Sue and Cristy sit outside David Lammy’s house during a protest this morning

The pair say in front of the sign while holding fake child-sized body bags

Meanwhile, activists were also seen blocking traffic in Tower Bridge Road this morning, holding flares, banners and Palestine flags in the middle of the road. 

The same group were later confronted by an angry driver who could be seen pushing against members of the group. 

He then grabs a banner from one of the group’s hands in another picture, while a third image appears to show an activist who has fallen to the ground. 

MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office for comment. 

Many of those in Youth Demand, whose members have also opted to wear JSO’s trademark colour, have come from the notorious original campaign group which caused many members of the public headaches.

The bright website boasts ‘young people are resisting’ and they have organised a list of activities – including ‘action training’ and ‘legal briefing’ as they rally the troops.

MailOnline previously revealed the new group is planning to target the British Museum and other London landmarks this month.

They hope to overwhelm the justice system by clogging the courts and costing the police ‘millions of pounds’ in shifts.

A driver pushes Youth Demand protesters off the road as the group blocked traffic in Tower Bridge Road this morning

The driver could be seen pushing some of the protesters during their march in Tower Bridge Road

An activist appears to have fallen to the ground during the Youth Demand protest on Tower Bridge Road near in central London

Mr Lammy is currently in Rome on a royal visit with the King and Queen, looking to cement Britain’s defence and trade ties with Italy. 

The Foreign Secretary’s position on Israel has been under scrutiny since Downing Street rowed back on his comments in the Commons last month.

Mr Lammy had said Israel’s denial of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza was a breach of international law following the collapse of the truce which had been in place since January.

Downing Street later said Israel’s actions were ‘at clear risk’ of breaching the law and Mr Lammy said he ‘could have been clearer’ when asked if he regretted making the statement.

The Government also ruled out an arms embargo on Israel over the blockade.

A Youth Demand spokesperson said: ‘David Lammy has admitted that Israel is in breach of international law and yet the UK has cancelled less than 10% of arms sales to Israel. 90% complicity with murder is still complicity with murder. 

‘History will rightly view those that supported the systematic slaughter of children with absolute contempt, and David Lammy will be held to account for not having the spine to cease trading with Israel and halting British armed forces from assisting this genocide.’

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk