Four Palestine Action activists convicted over raid on Elbit Systems facility
The group remains proscribed under terrorism laws pending a government appeal of a High Court ruling that declared the ban unlawful
A Woolwich Crown Court jury has convicted four members of the banned Palestine Action group of criminal damage and grievous bodily harm following an August 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems facility in Bristol. The activists, who admitted damaging military drones to save lives in Palestine, caused approximately one million pounds in damage. Two other defendants were found not guilty. The group remains proscribed under terrorism laws pending a government appeal.
The defendants, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani, were found guilty on Tuesday. Prosecutors stated that the raid took place roughly ten months into Israel's war on Gaza, which began in October 2023. The raid targeted an Elbit Systems UK facility in Filton, Bristol, where the activists admitted to damaging military drones and equipment inside the research and development centre.
Samuel Corner was specifically convicted of grievous bodily harm after striking a police officer with a sledgehammer during the incident. Prosecutors said the group caused about one million pounds in damage to the defence technology company's assets. Elbit Systems is a defence technology company with approximately 20,000 staff and annual revenues of $2bn.
Each of the defendants gave evidence in front of the jury, admitting that they damaged Israeli military drones and equipment inside Elbit's facility in order to save lives in Palestine. Their legal team stated that the defendants went into the trial with the knowledge that their actions likely saved lives, noting they had already defeated the most serious charges of aggravated burglary.
Two other defendants, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, were found not guilty. Previous charges of aggravated burglary against all six defendants resulted in acquittal, and charges of violent disorder were dropped by prosecutors. The trial followed a previous hearing where a jury could not reach verdicts on criminal damage charges, leading to a retrial.
The UK government proscribed Palestine Action in July, days after its activists sneaked into an air force base in southern England. Although London's High Court ruled the ban unlawful, the group remains banned pending the government's appeal, which was heard last week.
