Pro-Palestinian protesters have attacked Barclays across the UK, smashing windows and throwing red paint on bank branches in London, Bristol and Manchester.
Shocking images show that all the windows of a branch in the center of Bristol were vandalized and painted over in the coordinated attack.
Palestine Action said its activists smashed the bank windows in Broadmead, along with Barclays has branches across the country, from Glasgow to Brighton.
The group said they took the step to demand that the bank “divest from Israel’s arms and fossil fuel trade.”
Posting on X, they claimed to have “closed 20 Barclays branches” in England and Scotland with their antics.
BRISTOL: Pro-Palestinian protesters have attacked Barclays across the UK, smashing windows and throwing red paint on bank branches.
BRISTOL: Giant shards of glass protrude from remains of broken window
WESTMINSTER: Branch ATMs covered in red paint
CROYDON: A Barclays sign in Croydon next to the branch was splattered with paint
BRISTOL: The windows of the Barclays Bank branch in the city center were broken
PECKHAM: The scene at Barclays bank in Peckham after several branches were attacked
RICHMOND: Red paint thrown on this ATM at a Barclays bank in Richmond
BRISTOL: Police officer on scene after activists attack branch
BURY: Forensic officers and a police cordon were in place outside Barclays bank in Bury, Manchester, this morning, after the group attacked the bank with paint.
BURY: A broken window at a Barclays bank in Manchester, dripping red paint
City of London Police said three men, aged between 34 and 45, have been arrested in connection with criminal damage at Barclays in Moorgate this morning.
A post from the force on X said: ‘Our control saw them on CCTV and sent officers to the scene. After a brief foot chase, three men were arrested.
A spokesperson for Palestine Action said: ‘Barclays is funding the crises of climate collapse and genocide in Palestine.
‘Decades of polite campaigning, petitioning, letter-writing and lobbying MPs have failed.
‘We will continue to escalate until Barclays pulls out its finger and stops funding genocide and climate destruction.
Activists also painted the names of Palestinians killed in the Israeli military action in Gaza on the walls of the Barclays branch.
A Barclays spokesperson said: ‘We provide vital financial services to US, UK and European public companies that supply defense products to NATO and its allies.
CROYDON: Holes seen in broken windows in Croydon this morning
WESTMINSTER: Barclays Bank branch in St Johns Wood left with doors and windows smashed and exterior covered in red paint
BURY: A table and a sign were covered with the paint that was thrown at the bank
BURY: There is a police cordon outside Barclays bank in Bury, Manchester, after the protest.
BURY: Barclays Bank in Bury, Manchester, this morning, which was attacked by activists
BRISTOL: Red paint thrown on branch in Bristol city center in protest
BRISTOL: A woman carefully picks her way over the broken and stained glass of the window.
‘Barclays does not invest directly in these companies.
‘The defense sector is critical to our national security and the UK Government has been clear that supporting defense businesses is compatible with ESG considerations.
‘Decisions on the implementation of arms embargoes on other nations are the task of the respective elected governments.
“While we support the right to protest, we ask that activists do so in a way that respects our customers, colleagues and property.”
