Key facts
- Five Palestine Action activists were found guilty of criminal charges for damaging a Barclays branch.
- The activists protested Barclays' investment in Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons firm.
- The judge ruled that the activists would not be sentenced under terrorism legislation.
- The vandalism occurred in August 2024 at a Barclays branch in Burnley.
- Barclays reportedly sold its shares in Elbit Systems in October 2024.
Five Palestine Action activists, identified as the 'Barclays five', will not face sentencing as terrorists despite being found guilty of causing significant damage to a Barclays branch. The group, including Brendon O’Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Mohammed Malik, and Alma Yaniv, were convicted in June for vandalizing a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024, breaking windows and throwing red paint. Their protest targeted Barclays due to its holdings in the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems. The jury that convicted them was reportedly unaware that their cases could be considered terrorism-related until after the verdict. Judge Philip Parry had indicated an intention to consider a 'terrorist connection' following new information that emerged during the trial. In a separate development, Barclays reportedly sold all its shares in Elbit Systems in October 2024, having previously stated the shares were held for client-driven transactions.