Palestine Action activists face being sentenced as terrorists over bank damage
Summary
Five activists from Palestine Action were found guilty of damaging a Barclays Bank branch in Lancashire by breaking windows and throwing red paint. The court is now considering sentencing them as terrorists due to their links with Palestine Action and the bank’s connection to an Israeli weapons company.Key Facts
- The five activists caused £212,000 in damage at Barclays in Burnley in August 2024.
- They protested because Barclays held shares in Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons firm.
- The judge wants to treat the damage as terrorism, although this was not mentioned during the trial.
- Four other Palestine Action activists were recently sentenced as terrorists for damaging Elbit’s factory.
- The activists’ protest happened before Palestine Action was officially banned as a terrorist group.
- Prosecutors say the terrorist link came from admissions made by defendants during the trial.
- Critics argue this is a misuse of counter-terrorism laws and affects political protests.
- Barclays sold all Elbit shares in 2024, stating their holdings were from client transactions only.
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