Peace campaigners are collecting a petition calling on a local authority to stop financial connections to companies selling arms to Israel.

Tavistock Peace Action Group (TPAG) is approaching its one-hundredth weekly Friday evening vigil calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East.

In the meantime, the group will also be manning a stall in the town’s Bedford Square on Saturday, September 20, 10.30am-2pm which will seek the public’s support in boycotting Israeli goods and ask for signatures on the petition to Devon County Council calling for its staff pension fund to exclude investments from companies which supply arms to Israel.

TPG spokesman Lesley Crawford said: “Our stall will have information about the ongoing campaign to boycott Israeli goods, to pressurise companies and local authorities to divest from investments in Israel and raise awareness about sanctions regarding Israel’s failure to comply with international law.

“We will have a petition on the stall asking Devon County Council to divest £84 billion from companies involved in supplying arms to Israel.”

A DCC spokesperson said: “The Devon Pension Fund does not directly own listed shares or bonds in any companies. The fund owns units in funds managed by the Brunel Pension Partnership or underlying fund managers, which will own shares in individual companies.”

TPAG has been holding a weekly vigil since November 2023 in support of the Palestinian people who have been displaced, imprisoned, ‘slaughtered and starved’ as a result of various conflicts since 1948.

Lesley said: “Over the past nearly two years, attacks from Israel have resulted in the deaths of over 60,000 people including over 20,000 children, medics, journalists and aid workers. The purpose of the vigil is to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide and show support for the people of Palestine, alongside many, many towns and cities in this country and around the world.

“We will continue to hold a vigil every Friday between 4-5pm in Bedford Square until there is a permanent and enduring ceasefire. We welcome anyone who wishes to show their support for the Palestinian people.”

The one hundredth vigil will be on Friday, October 10 and was started in response to Israel’s attack on the listed terrorist group Hamas in Gaza after Hamas invaded a community in Israel, slaughtered civilian adults, babies and children and took some hostage. Israel’s military campaign is designed to eliminate Hamas and free the hostages.

Pro-Gaza campaigners have previously handed petitions to the council, calling for immediate withdrawal of investments and expressing concern about the council profiting from companies potentially involved in war crimes.

The county council added: “The Brunel Pension Partnership (which manages funds in its pensions scheme) continually monitors human rights issues, in accordance with their investment principles - Brunel Pension Partnership.

“Given this is an issue for all local government pension scheme (LGPS) funds across the country, advice is being sought from government and the LGPS advisory board on the issues being raised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

“The LGPS advisory board sought counsel’s (barrister’s) opinion on the legal issues involved in Autumn 2024.”