News / Palestine Action
Palestine Action activists not guilty of break-in at Filton arms firm
Renewed calls have come to decriminalise membership of Palestine Action following six protesters being cleared of aggravated burglary over a break-in at an Israeli-owned defence company in Filton.
Elbit Systems was targeted in a raid in the early hours of August 6 2024, with a prison van used to enter the site and a police officer later being hit with a sledgehammer.
Charlotte Head, 29, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Jordan Devlin, 31, Leona Kamio, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, and Zoe Rogers, 22, were also charged with criminal damage and violent disorder but a jury at Woolwich Crown Court reached partial or no verdicts on those counts.
This means that the defendants could face a retrial. Corner was the only one of the six who was denied bail, with their next hearing beginning on February 18.
No verdict was reached in the allegation that Corner inflicted grievous bodily harm on police sergeant Kate Evans.
Avon & Somerset Police Federation chair, Tom Gent, said: “When an officer is assaulted while simply doing their job, the impact is felt across the policing family.
“We expect – and rely upon – the full support of the criminal justice system when our officers are harmed in the line of duty.
“Our priority is sergeant Evans’ welfare and we stand squarely behind her as she continues her recovery.
“We await with interest to hear news of whether there will be a retrial over this allegation.”
In a statement, Defend Our Juries said: “The jury ‘refused to convict’ any of the defendants of criminal damage, despite five of them admitting in court to destroying Israeli weapons and equipment belonging to Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems.
“Samuel Corner was also not convicted of Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent for striking a police officer, or any lower offence available to the jury to convict on.
“In total, none of the defendants were convicted of a single offence.
“The defendants were acquitted, or not convicted, of all offences levelled against them, including alleged violent offences.
“It appears the jury agreed that the defendants’ sole intention was to use items, including sledgehammers, as tools to disarm Israeli weapons to ‘prevent violence’.
“These verdicts put to bed the deceitful accusations from ministers that these brave activists are ‘violent criminals’.
“Free the Filton 24. Shut Elbit down. Lift the ban on Palestine Action.”
Main photo: Palestine Action
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