Activists Terrorism Connection
Palestine Action Activists Convicted of Damage Face Potential Terrorism Sentencing
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Key Points
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The five Burnley defendants were Brendon O’Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Mohammed Malik, Hmeera Atiqnisar, and Alma Yaniv, convicted of criminal damage for the August 5, 2024 Barclays branch attack in Burnley (St James’s Street) with damage around £212,805 after windows were smashed and red paint sprayed.
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In Bristol, four Palestine Action activists involved in the Elbit Systems factory raid were ruled to have a ‘terrorist connection’ and should be sentenced as terrorists; the Bristol raid caused about £1.2 million of damage, creating a precedent for post-conviction terrorism designations.
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Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, signifying a milestone in how protest groups are treated under counter-terrorism laws and potentially widening the scope of terrorism-designation use in protests.
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The CPS is seeking to attach a terrorism connection to the Burnley case after verdict, which could extend sentences; notably, neither the jury nor the defendants were informed during the trial that the crime could carry a terrorism connection.
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Reaction to these developments includes Liberty calling the possible terrorism ruling ‘hugely concerning’ and Green Party leader Zack Polanski warning that the Woolwich ruling would set a dangerous precedent for protest cases.
Five Palestine Action activists convicted of causing £212,000 in damage to a Barclays bank branch in Burnley could now be sentenced as terrorists — even though neither they nor the jury were told during the trial that terrorism laws could apply, according to Lancashire Telegraph and The Independent.
The Crown Prosecution Service is seeking to attach a 'terrorist connection' to the case after the verdict. The move follows a similar ruling in Bristol, where four other Palestine Action activists were already ordered to be sentenced as terrorists for raiding an Elbit Systems weapons factory.
What the Burnley Five Did and Were Convicted Of
On August 5, 2024, five activists targeted a Barclays branch on St James's Street in Burnley. They smashed windows and sprayed red paint, causing an estimated £212,805 in damage. The five — Brendon O'Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Mohammed Malik, Hmeera Atiqnisar, and Alma Yaniv — were convicted of criminal damage at Preston Crown Court, according to Lancashire Telegraph.
Palestine Action targets Barclays because the bank has financial links to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. The group says it uses direct action to pressure companies it sees as complicit in the conflict in Gaza. Elbit Systems supplies drones and other weapons used by the Israeli military.
Terrorism Label Added After Trial, Without Warning
The CPS move to add a terrorism connection came after the verdict was delivered. Neither the jury nor the defendants were told during the trial that such a designation was possible, according to The Independent. A terrorist connection finding does not change the conviction itself. But it can significantly extend the prison sentence a judge hands down.
Palestine Action was officially proscribed — banned — as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, according to IBTimes. That proscription is now being used to argue that crimes committed in its name carry a terrorist connection, even when those crimes were tried under ordinary criminal damage laws.
Bristol Raid Set the Precedent for Protest-as-Terrorism
The Burnley case follows a landmark ruling at Woolwich Crown Court. Four Palestine Action activists who raided an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol were found to have acted with a terrorist connection. That raid caused around £1.2 million in damage. The Woolwich ruling is now being applied to shape how the Burnley sentencing could proceed, according to news.ssbcrack.com.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski warned the Woolwich ruling would 'set a dangerous precedent' for protest cases. Civil liberties group Liberty called the possible terrorism ruling 'hugely concerning,' arguing it risks letting counter-terrorism powers be used to silence political dissent rather than tackle genuine threats.
Critics Warn of a Chilling Effect on Protest Rights
Liberty and other critics say the pattern is alarming. Terrorism laws were designed for groups that plan mass violence — not protesters who smash bank windows. Applying them to activists, critics argue, stretches the law far beyond its original purpose. The Burnley five have not been accused of planning any violent attack on people.
The sentencing hearing for the Burnley five has yet to take place. If the terrorism connection is accepted by the judge, they could face longer prison terms than ordinary criminal damage convictions would allow. The cases together mark a sharp shift in how UK authorities are treating protest groups that target companies linked to the arms trade, according to IBTimes.
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