A UK court has allowed Allianz to pursue a civil lawsuit worth nearly £300,000 against six pro-Palestine activists. The case runs alongside criminal proceedings already under way against the same group.
According to Middle East Eye, Central London County Court Judge Alan Johns ruled on Monday that the German insurer could proceed with its civil case. He rejected the activists’ request to delay proceedings until after their criminal trials conclude.
The activists, known as the Allianz6, staged separate protests at Allianz offices in Guildford and London in 2024 and 2025. The grouped occupied the offices and sprayed water-soluble red paint across the walls, which Allianz said caused over £79,000 in damage.
The civil claim stems from a coordinated Palestine Action operation in October 2024. Activists targeted 10 Allianz offices across the UK, including the Guildford headquarters and London branches on Gracechurch Street and Bishopsgate. They sprayed red paint across building facades, smashed windows and occupied the Guildford site.
Allianz initially sought a lower sum before adding £200,000 in symbolic damages. The company cited reputational damage and the allegation that protests closed each office for a day. The total civil claim now stands at £289,604, plus legal costs.
The activists said they targeted Allianz because of its role as insurer for Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms company. Elbit supplies approximately 85% of the drones used by the Israeli military.
Allianz has since confirmed it ended that relationship. In court, Allianz said it suffered substantial interference with its premises and argued this justified significant compensation.
The defendants face criminal charges of criminal damage, reduced from earlier charges that also included aggravated trespass and locking on. Criminal trials are scheduled for October 2026 and January 2028.
Activist Seren John-Wood said the civil proceedings raise concerns about access to a fair trial.
“This attempt to move the case away from the criminal courts, where we are not able to access financial support for legal representation and have our cases heard by juries, is as appalling as it is unprecedented,” he said.
The activists also admitted that they cannot afford legal representation in the civil case, where the standard of proof is lower. They have described the £200,000 symbolic damages claim as a “protest licence fee.”
Defendant Renee Eshel said the move into civil courts amounted to financial pressure. Eshel said Allianz was “using intimidatory fear tactics to bully us into submission and to deter future activists from exposing their complicity in war crimes.”
The case arrives as UK civil unrest is treated as a growing accumulation risk. Analysis by Synthetik Insurance found protests follow predictable routes through financial districts and civic squares, creating distinct corridors of property exposure.
Allianz’s own research underlines that concern. Its 2026 Risk Barometer placed political violence at number seven, its highest-ever ranking. A separate survey found 53% of respondents globally named armed conflict as their primary political violence exposure.
In 2025, Allianz reported an operating profit of US$20.1 billion. If the civil case succeeds, damages would be drawn from the activists’ personal savings and future earnings.
