The banner stated “Lancaster stands with the Barclays 5” – five Palestine Action activists who took direct action against the Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024. At that time, Barclays was investing millions into Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems. Speaking at the action in Lancaster, Amanda Rees said: “We are shocked that these five people are facing sentencing as terrorists, for an action that was designed to prevent a company supporting a genocide.” The “Barclays 5” splintered windows at the bank, and sprayed red paint to symbolise Palestinian bloodshed. They were convicted of criminal damage in June 2026, but the jury and the defendants did not know they could be sentenced as terrorists. Another protest attendee, Katie Todd said: “Direct action works – so they're sentencing activists as terrorists to protect the Israeli weapons industry. “The purpose of direct action against Barclays was to cost the bank more than they gained in profit by investing in Elbit Systems – and it worked. “This action against Barclays, and dozens of other similar actions, led to the bank pulling its shares out of Elbit Systems. "Barclays only cares about profit, they don't see any value in human life, so the only way to stop them funding the Israeli weapons industry, was to affect their bank balance.” The activists invited people to take part in direct action training by visiting the instagram account @directactiontraininguk, and the website https://directactiontraining.org Before and during the trial, not even the defendants were aware that they could be sentenced as terrorists. The jury and the defendants were told that this was a simple criminal damage case. Only after the five were convicted of criminal damage were they told by the judge that he would now consider sentencing them as terrorists, a massive potential escalation in their sentence. The Crown Prosecution Service then filed submissions to say the five defendants should be sentenced as terrorists, despite never raising this beforehand. This action was taken before the Palestine Action ban but despite that, the judge is now assessing whether splintered windows and red paint on a bank is an act of terrorism. Sean McKenna said: “Counter-terrorism legislation is being used to protect war criminals, Israeli weapons companies and banks. "It is not used to protect the people – quite the opposite, it is being used to intimidate the public into allowing the worst crimes against humanity to take place. “The terrorist label has been used for decades to demonise the Palestinian people and others who resist their oppressors. "Now they've extended this label to those who act in solidarity with them – to disrupt the genocide of Palestinians. We cannot allow this inversion of reality to deter us. “By the British state attempting to normalise sentencing those who take direct action against genocide, as terrorists, they're showing us exactly what works and just how effective direct action is. "The state is prioritising the interests of a foreign genocidal weapons manufacturer over the freedoms of its own citizens.” Speaking of the history of Lancaster Castle in miscarriages of justice, Eliza Boyd of Lancaster said: “When the history books are written, we know who will be seen as the real criminals. "Just like the trial of the Pendle Witches in Lancaster Castle 400 years ago, and the Birmingham Six 50 years ago, we will also look back on the persecution of Palestine Action, and the people who support their actions, as oppressive and unjust. “We must act to prioritise the lives and freedom of the Palestinian people. We cannot be intimidated into allowing a genocide to happen. The only appropriate response to a crackdown, is to refuse to back down - and for hundreds more to take direct action. The real purpose of terrorism legislation is to protect Zionism, imperialism and capital.“
