Palestine Action’s latest assault on Barclays, over its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, was its most effective yet. And by effective, we mean the volume of right-wing war crimes apologist’s tears that were cried.
Palestine Action: smashing across the country
Activists broke windows of Barclays branches and offices across England and Scotland on Monday 10 June to demand the bank divests from Israel’s weapons trade and fossil fuels:
Palestine Action and friends shattered glass, sprayed paint, and stencilled over the façades of around 20 buildings from Glasgow to Brighton:
In Edinburgh, rocks were thrown through windows, inscribed with the names of Palestinians killed in the genocide:
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
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 10, 2024
Shut the System, a recently launched underground climate movement, has partnered with Palestine Action’s underground division to mastermind this nationwide campaign of targeted property damage.
Barclays: propping up Elbit, propping up genocide
Palestine Action aims to halt the Palestinian genocide by undermining suppliers of weapons to the Israeli military, including Elbit Systems, along with financial companies involved with these weapons suppliers. Shut the System targets banks and insurance companies which enable fossil fuel expansion.
Both groups have adopted radical direct action tactics which include sabotage of key infrastructure to physically prevent continued support for destructive and lethal business operations. Collaboration between the groups is designed to maximise effectiveness.
Barclays have funnelled billions of dollars worth of loans and underwriting to companies facilitating the Gaza genocide. The bank’s investments include shareholdings in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons firm.
Elbit Systems provide 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment, as well as bombs, missiles and other weaponry. The Israeli weapons maker market their weapons as “battle-tested” after they are developed during bombardments on occupied Palestine.
The continuing illegal land grabs, apartheid regime, and unfolding genocide perpetuated by Israel are clear reasons to boycott the state, but companies such as Barclays are continuing to invest in its military industry, all in the name of profit.
Cry more
Of course, none of this matters too much to the right wing; more concerned with some smashed glass and red paint on branches on one of the world’s richest banks:
Palestine Action say they’ve targeted twenty Barclays Bank branches across the country.
This isn’t just vandalism, it’s frankly domestic terrorism. They’ve become so brazen since they believe that they’re above the law.
Palestine Acton need to be proscribed. pic.twitter.com/ch6xaVjnxL
— Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) June 10, 2024
A GB News grifter called Palestine Action’s campaign “domestic terrorism”. Stop laughing at the back, please:
Palestine Action smash up TWENTY Barclays Bank branches across UK in latest vandalism campaign.
This is domestic terrorism.
It's about time this vile organisation was banned. pic.twitter.com/f5eJvR4uJv
— Lee Harris (@addicted2newz) June 10, 2024
Others quietly screamed ‘ANTISEMITISM’ when it very clearly wasn’t:
Out of all the many branches of Barclays Bank in London, I wonder why they picked St John’s Wood … 🧐 https://t.co/zO0J0c35xE
— David Wolfson (@DXW_KC) June 10, 2024
An escalation in tactics
Shut the System’s strategy involves targeting companies and institutions most responsible for causing the climate crisis. Between 2016 to 2022 Barclays provided $190.5bn to fossil fuel companies and recent commitments to phase out project finance are way off what is necessary for keeping within safe levels of global warming.
This latest action marks a significant escalation in activist tactics. Up until now most groups have relied on peaceful demonstrations and open engagement with staff and managers.
Now this has proven futile, groups like Palestine Action and Shut the System are escalating matters.
Frustration with Barclays limited progress towards stopping their genocidal and climate-destructive financing, has helped spawn this new radical flank of activism. According to Palestine Action, targeted actions will continue until Barclays completely eliminates this financing from its business model.
The only evidence that remains at the scene are splintered windows, shards of broken glass and red paint:
We will cost Barclays more than they gain by investing in genocide pic.twitter.com/kbNKMfdj6F
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 10, 2024
Palestine Action won’t be stopped
Of course, this was all too much for snivelling ex-Labour MP John “Walney” Woodcock – the guy the Tories jumped into bed with to advise them on ‘political violence’. The ‘lord’ who is an adviser to arms and fossil fuel lobbyists posted on X:
Extreme protest group Palestine Action is today claiming to have targeted ‘around 20’ branches of Barclays Bank – their criminal sabotage is evident today. Currently, they freely advertise’ training days to instruct activists on criminal acts. pic.twitter.com/RrtnmAEhkA
— Lord Walney (@LordWalney) June 10, 2024
Cry more, Woodcock – because Palestine Action aren’t quitting any time soon.
An activist who wished to remain anonymous stated:
Barclays is funding the crises of climate collapse and genocide in Palestine. Decades of polite campaigning, petitions, letter writing and lobbying MPs have failed. We will continue to escalate until Barclays pulls it’s finger out and stops funding genocide and climate destruction.
Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action
