Palestine Action claims responsibility as vandals shatter windows and hurl red paint over Barclays Bank in Bolton – days after targeting branches in Manchester and Brighton
a Barclays A branch in Bolton had its windows smashed and red paint thrown over and into the building while police attended the scene.
Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for the attack, along with another in Bradford, and demanded Barclays divest Israel‘largest weapons company, Elbit Systems’.
Taller Manchester Police are investigating after cordoning off the bank – on the corner of Market Street and Hotel Street – this morning, but have not yet made any arrests.
It comes within weeks of both Manchester and Brighton to have branches destroyed by pro-Palestinian activists.
Pictures showed the Bolton shop front left with shattered windows after the incident in the early hours today. They also showed how vandals had covered the outside walls and inside of the branch with paint, which was smeared across TV screens and marketing materials.
A Barclays branch in Bolton had its windows smashed and red paint thrown over and into the building
Greater Manchester Police are investigating after the bank cordon this morning and say no arrests have been made but investigations are ongoing
Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for the attack, along with another in Bradford
The Palestine Action
The Palestine Action X account shared photos of the bank after it was vandalized, alongside a photo from Bradford.
The comment read: ‘Palestine Action is targeting the Bradford and Bolton arm of Barclays and demanding the bank divest from Israel’s largest arms company, Elbit Systems.’
This incident follows two others this weekend in central Manchester claimed by the same protest group in addition to the vandalism of a BNY Mellon branch, where four people were arrested.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: ‘We were called at 2.54am this morning to reports of criminal damage and red graffiti above a building on Market Street in Bolton.
“No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.”
Members of Palestine Action have attacked Barclays branches across the country over their alleged links to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
But Barclays has denied that it finances and invests in companies that supply weapons to the Israeli army to fight the war in Gaza.
Instead, the bank said it trades in shares of a wide range of listed companies in response to its customers’ instructions – and is not itself a direct investor.
A statement on Barclays’ website said: ‘We have been asked why we are investing in nine defense companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we are doing.
Members of Palestine Action have attacked Barclays branches across the country over their alleged links to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, but Barclays has denied that it finances and invests in companies that supply weapons to the Israeli military.
The bank said it trades in shares of a wide range of listed companies in response to its clients’ instructions – and is not itself a direct investor in Elbit Systems.
Pictured: Police at the scene of Bolton’s Barclays branch, which was vandalized overnight
Pictures showed the extensive storefront left with shattered windows after the incident in the early hours
‘We trade in shares of listed companies at the request or instruction of customers and this may lead to us holding shares.
‘We do not make investments for Barclays and Barclays is not in that sense a ‘shareholder’ or ‘investor’ in relation to these companies.
‘For the reasons stated, it is not true that we have taken the decision to invest in Elbit.
“We may hold shares in connection with customer-related transactions. That’s why we’re on the share register, but we’re not investors.’
