Palestine Action Vandalizes Sites on Balfour Day

On November 2, marking the 107th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action engaged in multiple acts of vandalism across London and Manchester, targeting Jewish organizations and university buildings. The group claimed responsibility for stealing busts of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, from Manchester University and defacing properties associated with the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) and the Jewish National Fund (JNF) with red paint. Police are treating these incidents as potential hate crimes, with Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to hate-based actions. Palestine Action justified their actions as a protest against what they describe as the historical oppression of Palestinians initiated by the Balfour Declaration. The group also called for similar protests at various universities across the UK, framing their actions within broader anti-Zionist sentiments. Meanwhile, concerns about rising anti-Semitism in the context of these protests have been voiced by Jewish organizations and Labour party members, urging the government to address these issues seriously.