Pro-Palestine protesters climb Guardian Royal Exchange in insurance protest

Pro-Palestinian protesters have scaled columns at the entrance to the Guardian Royal Exchange in an insurance-related protest.

Today (25 March 2025), protesters gathered outside the iconic London building in Bank, calling for insurers to refuse cover for businesses providing defence and military materials to Israel.

Axa, Allianz and Aviva were the insurers being targeted, with protesters holding banners showing a red line being drawn through their logos. Palestinian flags were also waved outside the building.

Pictures also show two people having climbed the Guardian Royal Exchange to unfurl banners calling for an insurance boycott.

Chief inspector James Minney, of the City of London Police, said: “A man and a woman have been arrested for criminal damage after they scaled the Royal Exchange in the City of London at around 10am.

“The activists damaged one of the front pillars of the building. They came down by themselves at around 1pm.

“The majority of the protesters have now dispersed.”

Allianz and Aviva have both been targeted by protesters before, with some offices being vandalised and splattered with red paint. 

These attacks were carried out by Palestine Action and both firms have threatened legal action against the group.

An Aviva spokesperson previously said: ”We will not tolerate any criminal behaviour towards our people or property and will take appropriate legal action.”