Watch: Palestine Action takes sculptures of ex-Israeli president from the University of Manchester

Activists from the protest group Palestine Action have removed a sculpture of Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first president and a prominent Zionist leader, from the Chemistry Building at the University of Manchester.

Circulated across the group’s social media accounts is a video documenting the operation. It shows two individuals, wearing black clothing and balaclavas, smashing the glass case around the bust with hammers, before placing it into a duffel bag.

The incident took place on the night of November 1st, coinciding with the 107th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the 1917 statement in which the British government expressed its support for the creation of a “national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.” At that time, Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire and home to a majority Arab population.

A University of Manchester spokesperson said it was “aware of footage circulating online following an incident last night at our chemistry building” and had reported it to the police.

via Huda Ammori, The New Arab

Palestine Action claims that Weizmann was instrumental in securing the Balfour Declaration, which they argue marked the beginning of the longstanding conflict in the region.

The group draws on historical comments from Weizmann himself, quoting him on Instagram as describing the indigenous Palestinian population as “the rocks of Judea, obstacles that had to be cleared on a difficult path.” Another post argues that the Balfour Declaration prompted the British destruction of Palestinian villages to pave the way for the creation of the Jewish state.

The caption reads: “From the Balfour Declaration to today, Britain remains an active participant in the colonisation, genocide, and occupation of Palestine.”

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Prior to his role in political Zionism, Chaim Weizmann worked as a lecturer in the Chemistry department at the University of Manchester, where his research contributed to advances in ammunition production during WW1. For 30 years he lived on Birchfields Road in Withington, then moved to Israel to become the state’s first President shortly after its 1948 founding .

Cover image edit via Palestine Action