Palestine protests at defence sites "height of naivety" says Grant Shapps
The Defence Secretary made the comments on a visit to the BAE shipyards in Glasgow
Last updated 9th May 2024
The Defence Secretary is calling pro-Palestine protests which target defence industrial sites in the UK âmisguidedâ and the âheight of naivetyâ.
Grant Shapps made the comments when visiting the BAE shipyard in Govan, which was forced to close for a day earlier this month when demonstrators blocked the site to protest military arms being sent to Israel.
A number of other facilities across the UK have experienced similar protests.
"Misguided"
Speaking after he viewed the progress on HMS Cardiff, the latest Type 26 frigate under construction at the shipyard, Mr Shapps said the UK does not have defence exports to Israel in any âmeaningful numberâ.
He said: âThe protesters are misguided and their protests are misplaced.
âWhat goes on here protects Britain and it protects people around the world.
"Anyone who cares about democracy, anyone who cares about freedom of movement at sea, the ability to shift goods around the world, to feed people - Ukraine's defence. For all those reasons what goes on here is important not just to Britain but to the world.
"Height of naivety"
âIt is the height of naivety to turn up here and protest in a location which has absolutely nothing to do with the issue they're concerned about and everything to do with protecting Britain."
The Defence Secretary also responded to questions about Israelâs offensive in Rafah, saying Israel had been âsavagely attackedâ by Hamas militants on October 7 last year.
He added Israel would âneed to go out of your (its) wayâ to work within international humanitarian laws.
When asked by our reporter if Israel was doing this, he responded: âIâd like to see them do moreâ, stressing he has made this point to his counterparts there.
The UN reports since the October 7 attacks, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. An Israeli spokesperson put the death toll from the day of the Hamas attack as around 1200.