UK Jails Four Palestine Action Activists Over Israeli Elbit Protest

By Al Mayadeen English

A UK court sentenced four Palestine Action activists to prison over a 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems facility, as a legal battle over the group's ban continues.

A British court has sentenced four activists from the Palestine Action group to prison terms for protesting Israeli arms company Elbit Systems, at its facilities in Bristol, where equipment worth more than £1 million was damaged.

Elbit Systems is a major Israeli arms manufacturer and its weapons faciliate the Israeli genocide in Gaza, as well as war crimes and massacres throughout the broader region. Elbit supplies up to 85% of the Israeli military's land-based equipment and drones, while providing the core network infrastructure that digitizes and connects ground forces.

The activists, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Rajwani, were convicted last month of destroying property at the site using sledgehammers and crowbars during an August 2024 action aimed at disrupting the production of military equipment.

According to court proceedings, the activists damaged computers, drones, and other equipment before confrontations broke out with security personnel and police officers at the facility.

Judge classifies action as 'terrorist act'

Authorities accused Corner, 23, of striking a police officer with a sledgehammer during the incident, causing serious injuries, including a fractured spine.

The group said their objective was to "dismantle drones and weaponry" that would be used in direct attacks on civilians, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Judge Jeremy Johnson claimed the raid was "an act of terrorism" during Friday's sentencing hearing.

Corner was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison, while Head, 30, and Kamio, 30, each received five-year prison terms. Rajwani was sentenced to four years and eight months.

The judge said Corner had used "extreme and gratuitous force" against a police officer carrying out her duties.

Protests and arrests outside court

The sentencing prompted demonstrations outside the court, where around 500 people gathered in solidarity with the activists and Palestine Action.

Police said 107 people were arrested during the protest for showing support for the group.

Palestine Action has become known for direct-action campaigns targeting facilities linked to Israeli military production and arms exports.

Legal battle over Palestine Action ban continues

The ruling comes as the UK government continues its legal effort to reinstate a ban on Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The ban, which entered into force on July 5 last year, made membership in or support for the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Since the measure was introduced, approximately 3,000 people have reportedly been arrested at demonstrations and rallies linked to the group.

In February, the High Court in London ruled that the government's decision to ban Palestine Action was "disproportionate" and had a "very significant" impact on human rights, ordering that the ban be lifted. The government appealed the ruling, and a decision on that appeal is expected on Monday.