Pro-Palestinian activists jailed over weapons equipment factory protest

Five pro-Palestinian protesters who caused more than £1m of damage to a weapons equipment factory in Glasgow have been jailed.

The group scaled a roof, unfurled banners and set off pyrotechnics at the Thales UK building in Govan on 1 June 2022.

Two of them entered the building itself and a smoke bomb was thrown into an area where staff were being evacuated, Glasgow Sheriff Court was told.

Stuart Bretherton, 25, Eva Simmons, 25, Calum Lacy, 23, Erica Hygate, 23 received 12-month sentences, while Sumaya Javaid, 22, was jailed for 14 months.

There were shouts of "free Palestine" and "you are preventing genocide" by supporters in the public gallery as the five were led into custody.

The French firm Thales manufactures a wide range of military equipment including drone components.

It has often been targeted by activists because it has partnerships with Israeli companies, although it denies it supplies the Israeli military.

Sheriff John McCormick said the group had been spotted at the site early in the morning, dressed in red overalls, as they scaled the security fence.

They made it onto the roof of the main building where they unfurled banners and flags, as more protesters gathered outside.

"Miss Hygate and Miss Javaid entered the building through the roof and caused damage including to parts essential to submarines," the sheriff said.

"Fire alarms were activated which caused an evacuation and confusion as well as panic among staff.

"You set off pyrotechnics and smoke bombs - some thrown in the area where staff where evacuated. The smoke was dangerously close to the members of staff."

Some protesters remained on the roof overnight and glued their hands to the building to prevent police removing them.

The damage was estimated at £1,130,783 and the site was shut due to safety concerns.

The sheriff said the figure did not include the cost the public purse of the police operation which involved more than 20 officers.

He said everyone had a right to lawful protest but he disputed a claim in a background report that the group's actions were "non-violent".

"Throwing pyrotechnics at areas where people are being evacuated to cannot be described as non violent," he said.

Bretherton, of Kilmacolm, Simmons, of London, Lacy of Edinburgh, Hygate and Javaid - both from Birmingham - admitted conducting themselves in a disorderly manner.

Hygate and Javaid admitted malicious mischief charges, while Javaid also pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.