CCTV footage released after protesters destroyed Barclays Bank in Bristol

Police have released new CCTV images of four people they want to speak to as they continue to investigate a coordinated attack on Barclays Bank in Broadmead last month. The branch was beaten with red paint and all the windows were broken.

The incident happened shortly after 3am on Monday, June 10. The footage was captured by a nearby CCTV camera at 3.06am, showing a woman running from the bank carrying a blue shopping bag. She is closely followed by three men on bicycles, all dressed in black and with their faces covered.

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed on the day of the incident that they were looking for three people wearing balaclava they believed to be linked to the damage to the Barclays branch in Bristol city center based on CCTV footage.

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But now, almost a month on, in a renewed appeal police have released the footage, saying: “Detectives investigating damage to a bank building in Bristol city center last month have today released CCTV images of four people they want to speak to . to.

“At approximately 3am on Monday 10 June, a group of people smashed the windows of the Barclays branch in Broadmead and threw red paint over the walls of the building. The four people police want to identify are described as three men of slim build, wearing all black, with face coverings and a white woman, of thin build, wearing all black and carrying a blue shopping bag. If you know who they are or have any other information that could help the investigation, please contact us.”

Those who can help are encouraged to call 101, quoting reference number 5224148983, or complete an online appeal form.

The attack on the Barclays branch in Bristol was just one of many carried out on a total of 21 Barclays bank branches up and down the country, from Brighton to Glasgow, by the activist group, Palestine Action.

The group, which has been active in Bristol targeting the city’s arms industry links to Israel, said it had taken steps to demand the bank “dive out of Israel’s arms and fossil fuel trade”.

Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the attack just hours after it took place, with a spokesperson saying: “Barclays is funding the crises of climate collapse and genocide in Palestine.

“Decades of polite campaigning, petitions, letters and lobbying MPs have failed. We will continue to escalate until Barclays pulls its finger out and stops funding genocide and climate destruction.

Among the broken windows, activists spray-painted the names of Palestinians killed in Israeli military action in Gaza on the walls of the Barclays branch.

The group also claimed to be working with another direct action campaign group called ‘Shut The System’ – Palestine Action was attacking Barclays over its links to the arms industry and the Israeli government, while Shut The System is a group of environment targeting Barclays because of its investment in fossil fuels.

A Barclays spokesperson responded to the incident saying: “We provide vital financial services to public companies in the US, UK and Europe that supply defense products to NATO and its allies. Barclays does not invest directly in these companies.

“The defense sector is fundamental to our national security and the UK Government has been clear that supporting defense companies is compatible with ESG considerations. Decisions regarding the implementation of arms embargoes to other nations are the responsibility of the respective elected governments.

“While we support the right to protest, we ask that activists do so in a way that respects our customers, colleagues and property.”