Climate activists splashed Cambridge Labour’s HQ with red paint in a protest against the Labour Party’s stance on the Israel-Gaza war.

Yesterday evening (29/04), activist group This Is Not A Drill spray painted the words “Is this really the lesser of two evils?” across the entrance to Alex Wood Hall, the location of the party’s headquarters.

The activists aimed to highlight the party’s alleged “regressive” policies, including its “complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine”.

This Is Not A Drill claims that the party has “failed to call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.

The party called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” in February, days before the Speaker’s decision to select a Labour amendment to a ceasefire commons motion led to widespread backlash, forcing Lindsay Hoyle into an apology.

This Is Not a Drill also alleges that Labour has abandoned its commitment to green investment, endorsed severe new police measures, failed to propose effective solutions to the cost of living crisis, and suppressed progressive stances within the party.

This comes just two days before local elections are set to take place across the country.

Three days ago (26/04), This Is Not A Drill activists splashed Trinity College chapel with red paint, in a protest against the institutions’ alleged investments in Israeli arms companies.

The climate group has also claimed that several local protests against Labour policies are yet to be recognised by local labour MP Daniel Zeichner.

This is not the first time Cambridge Labour has been targeted by activists, as Alex Wood Hall was vandalised by Extinction Rebellion in May 2021. 

Students disrupted Trinity College’s maths open days on Saturday morning (27/05) as they protested the College’s ties to Israel’s largest arms company.

The group said: “Labour has not provided voters with any meaningful alternatives to genocide, immense social inequality and climate collapse”.

“Labour must rethink its participation in the race to the bottom that it is currently engaged in with the Conservatives,” the group added.

Cambridge Labour told Varsity: ”Cambridge Labour is thoroughly disappointed in this act of criminal damage. Alex Wood Hall is shared between our volunteers and a local charity which supports vulnerable people, so our first priority has been to ensure the building is safe for them. Cambridge Labour called for an immediate ceasefire on 2nd November as well as condemning the killing of innocent civilians and the siege on Gaza.”

“This has been followed by several further public statements. Nationally, the party has also called for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’. Locally, Labour remains focussed on tackling the crippling effects of the cost of living crisis, as well as investing £54 million in new community facilities and distributing over £1.1 million to community organisations this year,” they said.

Labour has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, with the City Council placed second of all district councils in Climate Emergency UK’s rankings of local authorities this year,” Cambridge Labour added.

Daniel Zeichner was contacted for comment.