Three Thales Palestine protestors acquitted in Glasgow

A pro-Palestine display outside of Glasgow Sheriff Court on April 2, 2026 <i>(Image: Newsquest)</i>
A pro-Palestine display outside of Glasgow Sheriff Court on April 2, 2026 (Image: Newsquest)
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Three people have been acquitted of all charges relating to a Palestine protest which took place in Glasgow in 2024, with a woman found not guilty of biting a police officer.

A fourth defendant was found guilty on one charge of obstruction.

A protest took place at the Thales factory in Govan on May 15, 2024 with around 100 people blockading the entrance to the plant on Linthouse Road whihc manufactures components used in the Watchkeeper drone, as part of a partnership with Israeli defence company Elbit Systems.

The protest was planned to coincide with the day Palestinians commemorate the 'Nakba', meaning 'catastrophe' in Arabic, the forced displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war.

The demonstration was attended by Police Scotland, who arrested three men aged 18, 28 and 29, and a 21-year-old woman.


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Police said after the demonstration that six officers had been injured, including one who was allegedly bitten, while protestors accused the force of creating "fear and panic" with heavy-handed tactics.

A journalist was also threatened with arrest.

Uri Ermez, Katherine Grindley, Stanley Smith and Brian McGuire appeared in court this week before Sheriff Hanlon.

All four were accused of breach of the peace on Thursday, with Mr Ermez, who is originally from Jerusalem, facing one charge of obstruction under Section 90 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

Ms Grindley faced a charge of assault for allegedly biting a police officer, Mr Smith faced a charge of obstruction and Mr McGuire also faced a charge of obstruction.

The court was shown CCTV recordings and photographs, as well as hearing testimony from police officers.

Sergeant Joseph of Police Scotland said that Ms Grindley had bitten him to his permanent disfigurement, leaving a scar on his arm. She denied having done so, accepting that his arm may have been in incidental contact with her face but that she did not bite him.

Constable McKechnie testified that sergeant Joseph had been "distressed" by the alleged incident.

Ms Grindley was found not guilty of assault by majority verdict, and not guilty of breach of the peace.

Mr Ermez was accused of having pushed police officers, which he denied, and of resisting arrest. He testified that he made accidental contact with police officers and did not struggle when placed under arrest.

He was found not guilty of both obstruction and breach of the peace.

Mr Smith was charged with breach of the peace for allegedly running at a police van, and said he had began running when the protest became chaotic but had not deliberately run at the van. He was unanimously acquitted.

Mr McGuire said he had only attended the protest for 10 minutes, and had fallen in front of a police van rather than having lain down deliberately to block it.

He was found guilty of obstruction by majority verdict but acquitted of breach of the peace.

Sheriff Hanlon had advised the jury that a "failure to disassociate" themselves from the protest on the part of the defendants would not meet the threshold of breach of the peace.

Eyewitness evidence presented a picture of a "fast-moving and large number of people", and what had been a "chaotic situation".

Sentencing for Mr McGuire was delayed until April 30 for background reports. He has no prior convictions.

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