Palestine Action members may be sentenced under terrorism laws over Barclays vandalism

Five Palestine Action activists could face being sentenced under terrorism legislation after a judge said he will consider whether damage caused during a protest at a Barclays branch had a “terrorist connection”.

According to The Guardian, Judge Philip Parry has asked lawyers to make submissions on whether the offences should be treated as having a “terrorist connection” when the activists are sentenced on 4 September.

The activists were convicted of causing more than £212,000 worth of damage after windows were smashed and red paint was thrown over a Barclays Bank in Burnley, Lancashire, during a protest in August 2024. The group described targeting the bank because of its financial links to Israeli defence company Elbit Systems.

The move follows a separate ruling last month in which four Palestine Action activists who damaged property at an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, became the first people convicted of criminal damage to have their offences deemed connected to terrorism during sentencing.

If the Burnley offences are similarly classified, the activists could face tougher prison terms and restrictions after their release, including terrorist notification requirements.

The protest took place almost a year before the Government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. It was not investigated as a terrorist incident at the time.

The Guardian reported that the Crown Prosecution Service is now arguing that a terrorist connection emerged through evidence heard during the trial, including the defendants’ admissions about their links to Palestine Action and the wider campaign against Barclays.

One of those convicted, Mohammed Malik, said: “The judge and the CPS are now seeking to sentence us as terrorists for red paint and a few splintered windows. This goes far beyond the charges before the court and raises serious concerns about the increasing use of counter-terrorism legislation to persecute political dissent.

“The attempt to now sentence us as terrorists demonstrates the extremely dangerous precedent set by Judge Johnson, who sentenced four Palestine Action protesters as terrorists for destroying Israeli quadcopter drones.”

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori described the development as an example of “the floodgates flowing” following last month’s ruling.

The case has also drawn criticism from civil liberties organisations. Liberty director Akiko Hart said it highlighted “the deep flaws in the UK’s counter-terror laws which capture activity most people would never consider terrorism”.

Labour MP John McDonnell said: “Trying direct-action protesters under criminal law but then sentencing them under terrorist legislation cannot be seen in any way as fair or just.” He went on to describe it as “a practice that seems to be specifically targeted to silence the voices of people speaking out against” what he referred to as “the genocide in Gaza.”

Barclays previously said its holding in Elbit Systems related only to client-driven transactions and that it was neither an investor in nor shareholder of the company. The bank later confirmed it had sold its remaining Elbit shares.

The Crown Prosecution Service and the judiciary declined to comment, according to The Guardian.