Palestine Action ‘Barclays five’ will not be sentenced as terrorists

A judge has ruled that five Palestine Action activists, known as the "Barclays five," will not be sentenced as terrorists. In June, Brendon O’Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Mohammed Malik, and Alma Yaniv were found guilty of causing over £200,000 in damage after vandalizing a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024. The group targeted the bank to protest its shares in Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons firm. The judge had initially intended to consider a "terrorist connection" to the offense following new information that emerged during the trial. The activists and the jury were reportedly unaware that terrorism sentencing was a possibility until after the guilty verdict.

Five Palestine Action activists in the UK are awaiting a court ruling on whether they will face terrorism sentencing for vandalizing a Barclays bank branch in Burnley in August 2024. The activists, who caused £212,000 in damages, were protesting the bank's shareholdings in Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company. Preston Crown Court is expected to decide on Friday if terrorism-linked offenses will be considered for their sentencing on September 4. Legal experts describe the application of "terrorist connection" laws in this context as "very unusual" and potentially targeting Palestine Action activists. This follows a similar instance where four activists convicted of criminal damage at an Elbit Systems site were sentenced as terrorists nearly two years after their protest.