British Court Convicts Palestine Action Activists in Gaza War Factory Raid

A British court has handed down guilty verdicts against four pro-Palestinian activists involved in a dramatic August 2024 break-in at an Israeli military technology company.

Woolwich Crown Court in London convicted Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani, 21, of criminal damage following the raid on Elbit Systems’ research facility in Filton, Bristol. Two other defendants, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were acquitted.

The attack caused approximately £1 million ($1.36 million) in damage to Israeli military drone equipment and hardware. Corner faced additional charges after prosecutors alleged he struck a police officer with a sledgehammer during the incident - he was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

All six defendants had admitted in court to deliberately destroying Israeli military equipment inside the facility. Their legal team argued the action was taken to “save lives in Palestine,” given the raid occurred roughly 10 months into Israel’s war in Gaza, which began in October 2023.

The convictions mark the culmination of a complex legal battle. In an earlier trial, all six defendants were acquitted of aggravated burglary charges, while the jury deadlocked on criminal damage counts. Prosecutors subsequently dropped violent disorder charges against the entire group.

The defendants were members of Palestine Action, a now-banned activist organization. The UK government proscribed the group under counter-terrorism legislation in July 2024, days after members infiltrated a southern England air force base. However, London’s High Court ruled the proscription unlawful - though Palestine Action remains banned pending the government’s appeal, which was heard last week.

Elbit Systems operates as a major Israeli defence contractor, employing approximately 20,000 staff globally with annual revenues reaching $2 billion.