A string of attacks by pro-Palestine activists has left several Barclays branches in the UK vandalized with shattered windows and graffiti. Palestine Action, the group behind the orchestrated attack, has confirmed the targeting of 20 Barclays branches nationwide, including the Broadmead branch in Bristol, with other locations ranging from Glasgow to Brighton. This aggressive campaign aims to pressure the bank into divesting from Israel’s arms trade and fossil fuel industries.
BREAKING: Palestine Action and @shut_system [1] target 20 Barclays branches across England and Scotland!
Our collaboration demanding divestment from Israel’s weapons trade and fossil fuels has left the bank shattered. pic.twitter.com/ZSUMf06tCy [2]
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 10, 2024 [3]
Actionists threw rocks marked with the names of Palestinian martyrs at Barclays in Edinburgh, investors in Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems pic.twitter.com/XLz0ykSghG [4]
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 10, 2024 [5]
Palestine Action, known for its direct action blockades against companies such as Elbit Systems, an Israeli-owned arms firm with a UK office near Bristol, has made its presence felt in Bristol’s city center through ongoing protests against businesses with ties to Israel.
The recent spate of vandalism against Barclays signifies a noticeable escalation in the group’s efforts, prompting police to launch investigations into the widespread property damage. Incidents were reported at other banks in St John’s Wood, London, and in Scotland.
A representative for Palestine Action voiced the group’s stance, stating, “Barclays is funding the crises of climate collapse and genocide in Palestine.” The spokesperson further emphasized that traditional forms of advocacy had failed to yield results, leading the group to intensify its tactics until Barclays ceases its support for what they perceive as genocide and climate destruction.
In response, a Barclays representative stressed the institution’s role in providing essential financial services to US, UK, and European public companies supplying defense products to NATO and its allies. The spokesperson clarified that Barclays does not engage in direct investment in these companies, underlining the importance of the defense sector in national security and emphasizing that decisions on arms embargoes fall within the purview of elected governments.
Meanwhile, Palestine Action disclosed that it had collaborated with Shut The System, an underground climate movement, to orchestrate the coordinated campaign of targeted property damage. This collaboration aims to disrupt the supply chain of weapons to the Israeli military by targeting companies like Elbit Systems, in addition to financial entities involved in supporting these weapons suppliers. Shut the System, as part of its mission, targets banks and insurance companies enabling fossil fuel expansion.
Barclays invests in Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems. Elbit’s CEO openly says they’re ramping up production to arm the ongoing genocide.
If you associate with Elbit, Palestine Action will become associated with you. pic.twitter.com/oqzpEOdLMc [6]
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 10, 2024 [7]
The collaboration between these groups underscores the complex intersection of environmental and geopolitical issues, while the intensifying acts of vandalism underscore the growing tension surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the efforts to influence corporate investment strategies through direct action.