{"id":635198,"date":"2025-12-16T02:58:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/635198\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T02:58:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:58:23","slug":"hsbc-vandalism-in-edinburgh-linked-to-pro-palestine-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/635198\/","title":{"rendered":"HSBC vandalism in Edinburgh linked to pro-Palestine group"},"content":{"rendered":"

VANDALISM\u00a0on an HSBC<\/a> branch has been linked to a pro-Palestine<\/a> group, who have claimed credit for the Edinburgh incident and others across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the early hours of Saturday morning, police were alerted to a report of vandalism at a premises on Hanover Street in\u00a0the Scottish capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pictures posted later that day revealed the premises to be the HSBC branch on Hanover Street, in Edinburgh\u2019s New Town<\/a>, while writing on the wall exhorted HSBC to \u201cdrop Elbit\u201d \u2013 seemingly referring to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Police have launched an investigation into the Edinburgh incident but have so far released few details, while a group named People Against Genocide<\/a> (PAG) appears to have claimed credit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>The HSBC branch on Hanover Street in Edinburgh appears to have been vandalised by pro-Palestine activists (C) @edinastine \/ Instagram<\/p>\n

The branch\u2019s brickwork and glass were doused with grey paint whilst spraypainted on the wall was the demand \u201cdrop Elbit\u201d,\u00a0seemingly in\u00a0reference to the Israel-based international military technology company Elbit Systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The branch was closed\u00a0immediately\u00a0following the incident\u00a0whilst other actions unfolded\u00a0across the UK\u00a0in Glasgow, London,\u00a0Newcastle\u00a0and\u00a0Wokingham\u00a0among others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All\u00a0the vandalism\u00a0took place over the weekend, with most occurring in the early hours of Saturday morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posting online on Saturday, The Aftershock, a global distributor of media related to actions for Palestine, said: \u201cIn the early hours of Saturday 13 December 2025, groups across Britain conducted operations at 11 separate branches of the genocide-profiteer HSBC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe national series of actions against Britain\u2019s largest bank marks the launch of People Against Genocide\u2019s clandestine network.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This does not appear to include the incident in Glasgow, however, which occurred on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the same post, PAG, who collaborated on the post, said: \u201cDespite \u2018divesting\u2019 from Israeli arms company Elbit Systems in 2018, HSBC has since amassed millions of\u00a0dollars\u2019 worth\u00a0of 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cInstitutions like HSBC do it because they can. Because they think that no one will care.\u00a0That no one will stop them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we have given the lie to that fantasy, demanding that HSBC\u00a0immediately\u00a0end all investment in Elbit Systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf not, we\u2019ll be back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Pictures<\/a>Pictures posted by edinastine, who was alerted to the incident by The Aftershock\u2019s prompt social media posts, following the incident show writing on the wall of the HSBC branch which reads \u201cdrop Elbit\u201d (left) (C) @edinastine \/ Instagram<\/p>\n

The Aftershock and PAG have posted footage which appears\u00a0to show people carrying acts of vandalism\u00a0similar to\u00a0those in Edinburgh and Glasgow in Brighton.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elbit Systems is an Israeli arms manufacturer which has produced cluster bombs,\u00a0drones\u00a0and military technology for use against a civilian population in Gaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HSBC officially divested from Elbit Systems in late 2018, with The Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions Movement claiming the move as a victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is unclear where PAG\u2019s claims of \u201cover $8m\u201d in HSBC investments in the firm have come from.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for HSBC UK appeared to acknowledge the political nature of the vandalism, saying: \u201cWhilst we respect people\u2019s rights to protest legally, we cannot condone vandalism or actions that put people and property at risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur priority is the safety of our colleagues and customers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: \u201cAround 4:30am on Saturday, 13\u00a0December,\u00a02025, we received a report of vandalism to a premises in Hanover Street, Edinburgh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEnquiries are ongoing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Neither police or PAG have confirmed any link between the incident in Glasgow and the incident in Edinburgh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No one appears to have been injured in the Edinburgh incident.\u00a0<\/p>\n

People Against Genocide\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n