18/08/2026
FRIDAY 21st AUGUST 10am OUTSIDE PRESTON CROWN COURT
SOLIDARITY WITH THE BARCLAYS 5. JOIN THE PROTEST!
(From 9.30 AM - hearing starts at 10 AM - Openshaw Place, The Law Courts, Ringway, Preston PR12LL).
From the Suffragettes breaking windows to Greenham Common women cutting fences, Britain has a long and noble history of Non-Violent-Direct-Action (NVDA). But now the state wants to call NVDA "terrorism"and lock away non-violent direct activists for years, to prevent dissent.
In June this year, 5 north-west activists were convicted of criminal damage for cracking windows and spraying red paint at a Barclays Bank in Burnley. No one was harmed.
This was part of a campaign against Barclays ties to Elbit Systems, Israelβs biggest weapons supplier. Barclays had made a Β£3.4million investment in Elbit, and were therefore funding the Israeli states genocide of the Palestinian people.
The non-violent direct action campaign to end Barclays Elbit investments was successful. Barclays pulled out their Β£3.4million investment just two months after the Burnley paint action.
The five people arrested in Burnley knew and accepted that they would probably be arrested and convicted for criminal damage, which over history has been the usual charge for such actions.
But now the "Barclays 5" are being summoned back to court in a sinister move by the authorities, Now, the judge is seeking to apply the same ruling as the Filton 4, and add terrorism to their sentencing, even though neither the defendants nor the jury were aware that was a possibility during the trial.
This draconian state repression is happening because direct action has been such a powerful tool against the arms industry.
β’ Do you support traditional liberties and rights to protest and take non-violent direct action?
β’ Do you want to defend the freedom to protest?
β’ Are you appalled by the supply of arms from Britain to be used in Israel's genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people?
THEN PLEASE COME AND JOIN THE PROTEST THIS FRIDAY OUTSIDE PRESTON CROWN COURT, 10am