VANDALISM on an HSBC branch has been linked to a pro-Palestine group, who have claimed credit for the Edinburgh incident and others across the country.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, police were alerted to a report of vandalism at a premises on Hanover Street in the Scottish capital.
Pictures posted later that day revealed the premises to be the HSBC branch on Hanover Street, in Edinburgh’s New Town, while writing on the wall exhorted HSBC to “drop Elbit” – seemingly referring to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Police have launched an investigation into the Edinburgh incident but have so far released few details, while a group named People Against Genocide (PAG) appears to have claimed credit.
The HSBC branch on Hanover Street in Edinburgh appears to have been vandalised by pro-Palestine activists (C) @edinastine / Instagram
The branch’s brickwork and glass were doused with grey paint whilst spraypainted on the wall was the demand “drop Elbit”, seemingly in reference to the Israel-based international military technology company Elbit Systems.
The branch was closed immediately following the incident whilst other actions unfolded across the UK in Glasgow, London, Newcastle and Wokingham among others.
All the vandalism took place over the weekend, with most occurring in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police Scotland did not specify whether the incident was linked to another act of vandalism in Glasgow less than 24 hours earlier, in which another HSBC branch was this time sprayed with red paint.
Posting online on Saturday, The Aftershock, a global distributor of media related to actions for Palestine, said: “In the early hours of Saturday 13 December 2025, groups across Britain conducted operations at 11 separate branches of the genocide-profiteer HSBC.
“The national series of actions against Britain’s largest bank marks the launch of People Against Genocide’s clandestine network.”
This does not appear to include the incident in Glasgow, however, which occurred on Friday.
On the same post, PAG, who collaborated on the post, said: “Despite ‘divesting’ from Israeli arms company Elbit Systems in 2018, HSBC has since amassed millions of dollars’ worth of Elbit shares right under our noses, cementing its complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza and brutal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“Institutions like HSBC do it because they can. Because they think that no one will care. That no one will stop them.
“Today we have given the lie to that fantasy, demanding that HSBC immediately end all investment in Elbit Systems.
“If not, we’ll be back.”
Pictures posted by edinastine, who was alerted to the incident by The Aftershock’s prompt social media posts, following the incident show writing on the wall of the HSBC branch which reads “drop Elbit” (left) (C) @edinastine / Instagram
The Aftershock and PAG have posted footage which appears to show people carrying acts of vandalism similar to those in Edinburgh and Glasgow in Brighton.
Elbit Systems is an Israeli arms manufacturer which has produced cluster bombs, drones and military technology for use against a civilian population in Gaza.
HSBC officially divested from Elbit Systems in late 2018, with The Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions Movement claiming the move as a victory.
It is unclear where PAG’s claims of “over $8m” in HSBC investments in the firm have come from.
A spokesperson for HSBC UK appeared to acknowledge the political nature of the vandalism, saying: “Whilst we respect people’s rights to protest legally, we cannot condone vandalism or actions that put people and property at risk.
“Our priority is the safety of our colleagues and customers.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4:30am on Saturday, 13 December, 2025, we received a report of vandalism to a premises in Hanover Street, Edinburgh.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
Neither police or PAG have confirmed any link between the incident in Glasgow and the incident in Edinburgh.
No one appears to have been injured in the Edinburgh incident.
People Against Genocide have been contacted for comment.
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