Four Palestine Action Activists Convicted of Criminal Damage at Bristol Elbit Systems Facility

Four activists linked to Palestine Action were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of causing approximately £1 million worth of damage to an Israel-connected defence company. Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio and Fatema Rajwani took part in a nighttime incursion at the Elbit Systems facility in Bristol on August 6, 2024.

A pre-trial determination by Mr Justice Johnson established that the offences carried a terrorist connection.

The activists gained entry to the site by ramming through with a decommissioned prison van equipped with sledgehammers and crowbars. Wearing red boilersuits, they destroyed computers and drones at the Elbit Systems facility. They sprayed red paint throughout the building using fire extinguishers.

During the overnight operation Samuel Corner caused a fractured spine to police sergeant Kate Evans. He was separately convicted of grievous bodily harm. Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, who were charged alongside them, were acquitted of criminal damage by the jury.

Mr Justice Johnson is scheduled to pass sentence on June 12. The judge prohibited documents relating to the defendants' beliefs about Elbit's weapons supply to Israel and the legality of Israeli military operations in Gaza. He ruled that while defendants could outline their motivations, such evidence "need not, and should not be, extensive".

The four activists maintained their actions were necessary to protect Palestinian lives. They claimed they intended to inflict maximum damage on military equipment to prevent its deployment against civilians in Gaza. Supporters of the four convicted activists have accused authorities of orchestrating a stitch-up.