MP Luke Akehurst has expressed his support for the custodial sentences imposed on five pro-Palestinian activists who caused over £1 million in damage during a protest at a weapons equipment factory in Glasgow.
The activists targeted the Thales UK building in Govan on 1 June 2022, leading to significant disruption and panic among workers.
Akehurst, the Member of Parliament for North Durham, commented on the court’s decision, stating, “I welcome the court imposing an appropriate custodial sentence, which will hopefully deter such vandalism by extremists in the future. Everyone has the right to peaceful protest but not to violence, causing over £1 million in damage to a company doing vital national security work, and endangering its employees.”
The activists, identified as Stuart Bretherton (25), Eva Simmons (25), Calum Lacy (23), Erica Hygate (23), and Sumaya Javaid (22), were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 14 months.
The group had scaled the roof of the Thales UK building, unfurled banners, set off pyrotechnics, and even threw a smoke bomb into an area where staff were being evacuated.
The incident, which caused panic among the workers, was described by Glasgow Sheriff Court as violent and dangerous.
Presiding over the case, Sheriff John McCormick rejected the activists’ claims that their actions were non-violent. He noted the significant damage caused, including to parts essential to submarines, and the confusion and panic among the evacuated staff.
The total damage was estimated at £1,130,783, with the site being closed due to safety concerns.
Akehurst’s support for the sentencing underscores his stance on the balance between the right to protest and the importance of maintaining public safety and protecting critical national infrastructure. The case has also highlighted the ongoing tensions surrounding protests against companies linked to military production, even when those links are indirect or disputed.
The Thales UK site in Glasgow, part of a French firm known for manufacturing military equipment, has been a frequent target for activists due to its partnerships with Israeli companies. However, Thales has denied that any components manufactured at the Glasgow site are supplied to the Israeli military. Despite this, the site remains a focal point for protests, such as the one that led to the recent convictions.
Excellent! Some good news to start my day.
It was a criminal act – simple as that.
Defence manufacturing must be protected otherwise Mad Vlad will be funding the various loon groups to do this kind of thing and worse.
You can dress it up with a belief mechanism but at the end of the day the point has been made many times that no Israeli related work is done there.
Correct! There are too many groups in this country like stop oil, green and animal activists, supporters of Palestine, far right extremists who have no respect for the law and seem to think its acceptable to intimidate others and / or commit criminal damage. Subjecting them to the rule of law is long overdue. I approve of the exemplary sentences. They are free to write letters to their MP like the rest of us!
my M.P GETS A LETTER FROM ME every week. I believe in getting my money’s worth out of him.
Absolutely! They work for you! That said I was once advised that because MPs are snowed under with letters, the best places to exert influence are the parliamentary committees which have a formal structure and process for receiving evidence from expert witnesses. They publish reports which reach the press and influence policy.
there’s no room for them, the nails are full but they should be deported to a deserted island somewhere I’m all for bringing back transportation.
it worries me at how easy it seems to be to get so close to the .library machinery of our nations defence estate it goes back to when I sailed .y little Lazer sail oat across the harbour in Portsmouth and actually got to lean against the hull of queen Elizabeth’s without any kind if challenge at all. j then went back across Ross the harbour and I don’t think anybody knew I’d done it if a hostile unit in a wartime situation did that an put a decent size device against one of the carriers, it would make the… Read more »
the actions of the dreadlocked unwashed are for .e, enough to get themselves labelled as terrorist groups.tbese are actively attacking the fabric of the nations fa fic And as hard a line, like the recent riots people are getting.
Bang ’em up.
flog them ten lashes of the 🐈
👍
It is about time people stop using the words from progressive media narrative:
Activist = Extremists from the Left
Protest= Protests do not make damages, violence does.
What the extreme left did was violence.
Should have got way longer than 14 months if people are getting longer than that for shouting at police officers or blocking roads over the environment. These people directly undermined our national security.
They got less that folk rioting? How is that right? Its not much of a deterrent for the future if they get so little time in prison for this. It is very serious. What if they had been going for the weapons?