‘Very unusual’: UK Palestine activists could be sentenced as terrorists
Summary
Five activists from the UK group Palestine Action were convicted for damaging a Barclays Bank branch while protesting the bank’s ties to an Israeli defense company. Their court is now deciding if their actions should be treated as terrorism, even though they were not charged with terrorism initially.Key Facts
- Five Palestine Action activists caused about £212,000 ($290,000) in damages during a protest in Burnley, UK.
- They targeted Barclays Bank because of its investments in the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.
- The activists were convicted in August 2024 and face sentencing in September 2024.
- The judge is considering applying terrorism-related laws to their case after the conviction.
- These terrorism laws have only recently been applied and mostly in cases involving Palestine Action activists.
- Palestine Action was not listed as a terrorist group at the time of the protest or trial.
- Thousands of people have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action since the group was banned in July 2025, equated legally with groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL.
- Supporters of the activists and some legal experts say using terrorism laws in this way is unusual and may target political protest groups.
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