Carlisle's Palestine Group staged a family-friendly demonstration in Carlisle's City Centre over the weekend. 

In partnership with local activist group 'Bubbles not Bombs', the gathering included child-friendly activities such as face-painting Palestinian flags and watermelon slices, a fruit often associated with Palestinian national identity. 

Carlisle & District Palestine Solidarity Group has been raising concerns about the UK government's support of Israel for the past eight months.

The event, titled ‘Blood on Your Hands’, used red handprints and heartfelt messages to send a message to the next Foreign Secretary.

“We have raised concerns with the government using various means over the past 8 months- petitioning  MPs, meeting with MPs, writing to the Foreign Office, petitioning the Foreign Secretary," group member, Fiona Goldie, said. 

"We have called for a ceasefire and have criticised the government’s military support for the Israeli forces and the continued 2-way arms trade.

"This event was aimed at bringing all those concerns together and calling on the next government to do better and we decided to do it in an inclusive way, involving children, parents, families.. drawing parallels with the ordinary people who are suffering so much in Gaza right now," she said. 

On June 23, the group continued their activism efforts with an annual 'Picnic for Palestine' held at Bitts Park.

The group also recently started the Palestine Cafe, providing a platform for people to learn more about the conflict.

Community engagement around the issue is expected to continue, as the activists are set to return to outside the English Street branch of Barclays Bank on June 29 from 12-1pm.

The group has targeted Barclays due to the bank's alleged funding of Israeli weapons firms.

The group previously caused disruption at the bank’s AGM in Glasgow. 

Following the bank protest, the group's weekly vigil, held outside the former House of Fraser on English Street, will take place from 1-2pm on the same day.