Five pro-Palestinian activists have been jailed after causing over £1 million in damage during a protest at a weapons equipment factory in Glasgow.
The group targeted the Thales UK building in Govan on 1 June 2022, where they scaled the roof, unfurled banners, and set off pyrotechnics.
Two members of the group managed to enter the building itself, with one of them throwing a smoke bomb into an area where staff were being evacuated, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard.
The court was told that the incident caused panic among the workers.
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. Javaid received the longer sentence of 14 months.
Supporters in the public gallery shouted “free Palestine” and “you are preventing genocide” as the five were led away into custody.
Thales, a French firm, manufactures military equipment, including drone components, but none used by Israel are manufactured at the Glasow site. It has often been the target of activist groups due to its partnerships with Israeli companies, although the company denies supplying the Israeli military.
Presiding over the case, Sheriff John McCormick rejected the activists’ claims that their actions were non-violent. He noted that the group had been spotted early in the morning, dressed in red overalls, as they scaled the security fence to reach the roof of the building.
“Miss Hygate and Miss Javaid entered the building through the roof and caused damage, including to parts essential to submarines,” said Sheriff McCormick.
“Fire alarms were activated, leading to an evacuation and creating confusion and panic among staff. Pyrotechnics and smoke bombs were set off, with some being thrown dangerously close to evacuated staff members.”
The court heard that some of the protesters remained on the roof overnight, glueing their hands to the building in an attempt to prevent their removal by police. The total damage was estimated at £1,130,783, and the site was closed due to safety concerns. The sheriff also pointed out that this figure did not account for the cost of the extensive police operation, which involved more than 20 officers.
In concluding remarks, Sheriff McCormick said that while everyone has the right to lawful protest, the group’s actions could not be described as non-violent. “Throwing pyrotechnics at areas where people are being evacuated cannot be described as non-violent,” he stated.
Bretherton, Simmons, Lacy, Hygate, and Javaid, who hailed from various parts of the UK, admitted to conducting themselves in a disorderly manner. Hygate and Javaid also pleaded guilty to charges of malicious mischief, with Javaid additionally admitting to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Got off lightly. Can’t really see that being a deterrent to future operations by these types of groups. Any time they may have spent on remand will count as double and they’ll only probably end up doing half that time.
It is strange that breaking in using smoke bombs and causing £1M worth of damage gets you 14 months imprisonment. However, merely protesting can you more prison time if you sing the wrong song. Is 14 months for £1M really a deterrent? Particularly if you consider they will probably only serve five months? Are we encouraging this kind of terrorism? Why not seize their assets to recompense Thales? Or make them work off the debt?
They were not protesting…they were attacking police, burning buildings attacking random people and looting shops..they deserve everything they got as did this lot.
“Throwing pyrotechnics at areas where people are being evacuated cannot be described as non-violent,”
This can also be construed as an attack for deliberately and recklessly endangering others, so the same sentence should apply.
No that’s not the case and never has been Essentially rioters get a sentence premium due to the fact they participated in mass rioting that was still ongoing…this is a standard approach to sentencing…when a crime is linked to mass disruption and violence it alway has a premium..just look back to the sentencing in 2011..look at the sentencing in 2011 as a comparison 2 guys get 4 years each in 2011 for Facebook comments, one get 16 months for having a stolen tv in his car..not even stealing it himself or participating….the justice system has a standard approach to rioting… Read more »
Cant help but wonder if Stuart ,Eva, Calum , Erica and Sumaya were equally vocal in protesting the murder of the Israel jews on 7 October, or the murder of Ukrainian civilians by Team Putin?
Well said 👏 klonkie,these bxxxxxds don’t like the truth ,1200 innocent Israeli people murderer, thousands of innocent people killed by putin and his cabal of criminals, well done mate ,much respect to you
bit of a leap of faith considering you’ve never met these people
They got what they deserved, sends a message no one is above the law ,one million in damage to property,speaks for itself, plus I support israel they were the innocent people who offended no one !!!
According to the Scottish GOV website as of 2022 the defence industry in Scotland added 3.2Bn to their economy and provides 33,000 jobs, so if your going to protest against innocents being killed they should protest against the whole industry? Not just 1 part. Will it stop the industry?? Of course not, they’ll just move elsewhere and Scotland would be all the more poorer for it.
“israel they were the innocent people who offended no one”
History didn’t start last October, I suggest you research the history of the region.
You are right. Palestinians have been causing trouble for many decades; perhaps you don’t remember the 60s and 70s hijackings or the Munich massacre. When invited into Jordan as displaced citizens, the Palestinian leadership attempted to kill King Hussein twice and then started a civil war to take over. (From the River to the Sea is a temporary compromise as far as many are concerned.) When they got thrown out on Black September they started causing problems in Lebanon and Syria, culminating in the Lebanese civil war. More recently the Gazan’s have been training fighters for the Islamic Brotherhood who… Read more »
mmm yes I wonder why they do these things, very mysterious 🙄
Because they have an indoctrinated hatred of Jews. Palestinians are totally unwilling to share land with Jewish people and won’t stop until they have destroyed Israel and purged the region of all Jewish people. To them, it’s a battle of religious/cultural supremacy. A two-state solution has been offered and rejected many times by the Palestinians. Before the Umayyad and Rashid Caliphates, there were many Jewish communities all over North Africa and the Middle East, today there are 51 Islamic countries, but just one Jewish state, because historically Jews were slaughtered, forced to convert, or driven out of these countries by… Read more »
so illegally occupying and settling the West Bank and East Jerusalem is ‘sharing the land?’
Should Ukraine ‘share the land’ with Russia?
You pal are a wind up merchant. Or an Iranian sympathiser.
Illegally occupying the West Bank. You mean like Jordan did, when it ethnically cleansed East Jerusalem, demolished the Jewish Quarter and desecrated Jewish graveyards on the Mount of Olives?
Those illegal occupiers were ousted by the Israelis and are now Israel’s oldest friends in the region. They realised the futility of attacking Israel after the Palestinians attacked them and decided they would share Jordan-valley water rights with someone who could play nicely with others.
I already know the history, moron,from the bible to modern day I know about israel, if you didn’t like what I wrote THEN FXXK OFF WINGNUT!!!@
until now I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt and assumed you were making your comments in good faith, I was mistaken
Your right there,called an opinion,same as you have so let’s agree to disagree 😉 🙂 😊 thank you
Yes the Israeli people who were raped and murdered would have been almost wholly innocent people…Hamas when for atrocities to enrage….
They said they supported Israel, not the Israeli people (which are not one and the same), and that was the point I was responding to
That’s fine, this specific government of Israel at present have some things to answer to be honest…they squandered the opportunity that was presented to them with Fatah renouncing violence…but Hamas and Hezbollah are beyond the pale to my mind.
Mate, I have no faith in Benjamin Netanyahu. I can’t see him winning the next election His approach to the Israeli hostages leaves much to be desired.
As for Hammas and Hezbollah – like herding cats.
Yes you are correct it didn’t start there. But therein lies the rub. How do you negotiate in good faith with Hamas who’s manifesto is to destroy Israel? It’s a zero some game . Of course. the Israelis do themselves no favour re the West bank issue and let’s face it – collateral human damage is not a concern for them. But there is a double standard at play here. Take a look at civilian casualties at the battle of Fallujah in the 2nd Gulf war. I don’t recall, the US held to account in the way Israel is. However,… Read more »
cheers David -it’s a sad state, the entire dam mess. I truly don’t know how it will ever stop.
Maybe they should go to the Middle East and spend 6 months living under Sharia law. then spend the next 6 months living in Israel and make a comparison. Sharia vs secular democracy. I hope the experience would bring them to their senses.
An excellent point Mate. Probably one of the most valuable life lessons for all us is “You don’t know what you don’t know”. They have no frame of reverence nor relevant life experience – young and gullible.
I can only agree. I might be wrong, but I think most will know the answer!
SWP types don’t do balance, only ideology.
cheers Daniele- to repeat my view to the above – Probably one of the most valuable life lessons for all us is “You don’t know what you don’t know”. They have no frame of reverence nor relevant life experience – young and gullible.
Is that reverence or reference? Assume you meant reference ?
Apologies DM- yes that’s reference. I need to invest in new specs!
I read an interesting article around the young mind and radicals as well as voting intentions and political affiliation…basically the young mind does not really have a predisposition to any political affiliation, so our view that they will be socialist or natural supporters of the Palestinian cause is wrong…essentially what they do is reject what they considered the establishment normal at the time…so a young mind can be socialist, right wing, religious whatever…but what they will be attracted to is the opposite to what their brain considers the social norm….hence how Hitler radicalised a nation.
Mate- I can totally understand that. I think generally people as a society are vulnerable to well orchestrated propaganda, particularly when there is an axe to grind. Your observation on Hitler is particularly valid – a perfect example.
Of course not. Like the rest of the internal enemies? I will stop there.
Spot on. The enemy within. We know who they are.
Well put John!
Having the right to protest in a civil manner is one thing, but good to see the authorities coming down hard with these kind of intrusions, wilfully causing danage and threatening peoples safety. Thales and Elbit sites need to up their security surveillance as it seems all too easy. What gets me is all these protesters seem to have a lot of free time to go and protest. Do they have day jobs, have they taken leave? Will they have a job to go back to? Think not after this. Maybe they’ll get a criminal record for this.
QD63, by virtue of being found guilty and sent to prison, they will automatically get a criminal records, and their fingerprints and DNA will be stored on the National Criminal Database. I find it strange that it has taken two years to get to caught, when they were apprehended at the site etc, etc, and received an average sentence of 12 months, whilst as others have said, recent “protesters/ rioters” have managed to be processed in 2 weeks and got sentences far longer than this. You could say each caused £200k’s worth of damage, which I am sure is a… Read more »
These arseholes should made to pay for the damage, serves them right ,
They think they’re martyrs. They’re wrong.