Pro-Palestine activists steal wrong statue in university raid

Pro-Palestine activists later show the busts in red graffiti saying 'Smash Zionism!'
Pro-Palestine activists smash the case containing the busts - X (formerly Twitter)

Credit: X / @Pal_action

Pro-Palestine activists stole the wrong statue in a raid on a university after mistaking a professor for Israel’s first president.

Palestine Action stole two busts from the University of Manchester, claiming they depicted Chaim Weizmann.

Weizmann served as the first president of Israel from 1949 until his death in 1952.

But it has now emerged that one of the sculptures is of Prof Harold Dixon, a chemist at the university from 1886 until 1922.

In the early hours of Saturday, activists filmed themselves using hammers to smash a glass display case in which the busts were kept.

Prof Harold Dixon was a chemist at the university from 1886 until 1922
Prof Harold Dixon, centre, was a chemist at the university from 1886 until 1922 - Apic/Hulton Archive

A series of social media videos released by Palestine Action showed the busts defaced with red graffiti reading “Smash Zionism” and adorned with keffiyehs.

On Tuesday, the group published an image of one of the busts without a head, writing: “First bust of Weizmann is dead. Soon, his Zionist project will be too!”

Prof Dixon, however, was an amateur footballer who played for the University of Oxford in the 1873 FA Cup final and supported women being able to study physics.

The University of Manchester said a bust of Weizmann was beheaded and a bust of Dixon was also stolen.

The group said its actions marked the 107th anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, in which the British Government formally declared support for “a homeland for the Jewish people”.

Chaim Weizmann was the first president of Israel from 1949 until 1952
Chaim Weizmann was the first president of Israel from 1949 until 1952 - Bettmann

The “appalling acts of vandalism” are being investigated by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) but no arrests have been made.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said “intimidation, vandalism and criminality” would not be tolerated.

“I will ask GMP to ensure that there is the fullest possible investigation into this appalling act of vandalism and that those responsible are held to account,” he said.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism denounced the “macabre” incident and accused Palestine Action of “terrorising the Jewish community”.

“The authorities have been too lax on Palestine Action,” a spokesman said.

‘A zero-tolerance approach’

The University of Manchester said it would hold those responsible for the thefts and vandalism “to account”.

“Over more than a year we have seen peaceful protests on campus in relation to the current conflict in the Middle East, and the exchange of strongly-held views,” a spokesman said.

“We welcome this as part of our fundamental role as a university – a place dedicated to freedom of speech and the discussion of often difficult ideas and beliefs.

“But these appalling acts of vandalism have no place in our community and make no contribution whatsoever to a better understanding of the issues.

“We are working with Greater Manchester Police, who have launched an investigation to find the perpetrators and hold them to account.

“Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students, and we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of criminality, discrimination or harassment on our campus.”