Six members of the activist group Palestine Action appeared in London’s Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday, facing charges related to a protest at a factory operated by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems in August 2024. The defendants—Charlotte Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31—are accused of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder. Corner faces an additional charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The court heard that the group, dressed in red jumpsuits and armed with sledgehammers, allegedly broke into the Filton-based facility near Bristol in the early hours of August 6. Prosecutors claimed they used a prison van to crash through the site’s fencing and caused significant damage to machinery inside the factory, including spraying red paint and smashing equipment. The activists were arrested on-site and have been held in custody beyond the UK’s standard pre-trial limit of 182 days. Justice Johnson emphasized to jurors that their personal views on Israel’s actions in Gaza should not influence the case, and the trial is expected to last 10 weeks.
