The British Museum’s partnership with BP

Full title: How the British Museum’s partnership with BP has shown the world its allegiance to imperialism at any cost

Energy Embargo for Palestine speaks out on the British Museum’s unprecedented collaboration with the Met Police in latest protest crackdown.

Originally published by Shado Mag on 29 March 2024.

Wherever imperialism strikes, energy company British Petroleum is often close by. 

On 30th October, a few weeks into Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, BP was one of the six companies which accepted a gas exploration licence from the Zionist entity – making them complicit in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people through their business dealings with Israel. 

Last Sunday, we returned to the British Museum in protest of its new 10-year, £50 million partnership with BP, whose normalisation of relations with the settler colonial regime clearly displays their willingness to enable colonial looting and extraction of Palestinian natural resources. 

With banners reading “BOYCOTT THE BRITISH MUSEUM” and “DROP BP NOW” stationed at its entrance on Great Russell Street, we recognised our power as an anti-imperialist climate collective striking directly at the core institutions that uphold and extend the legacy of the British Empire – shutting down the museum for the second time in a row without even having to enter the main building.

Yet, the Museum’s unprecedented collaboration with the London Metropolitan Police to preemptively try to suppress our demonstration reveals how their supposed liberal tolerance for political participation immediately crumbles when faced with people who heed the call of the Palestinian people to oppose all forms of complicity with Israel’s genocide.