Protesters smash into cabinet with hammers and steal statues at Manchester University

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An investigation has been launched after protesters used hammers to smash into a cabinet and steal two statues from a University of Manchester building.

Activist group Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for the incident at the Chemistry Building on the Oxford Road campus last night (Friday, November 1).

The group shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, of two hooded protesters using hammers to smash their way through the glass cabinet.

They they appeared to grab the statues from inside the cabinet. The group said the sculptures were of Israel’s first president Chaim Weizmann. READ NEXT: Man rushed to hospital with 'serious injuries' after stabbing in Wythenshawe "Today, Palestine Action have marked 107 years since the Balfour Declaration, by taking two sculptures of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, from its display case at University of Manchester", Palestine Action said in a statement. "Weizmann secured the Balfour Declaration, a British pledge written 107 years ago, which began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by signing the land away", the group claimed.