Palestine Action activists jailed over Elbit factory raid

Four Palestine Action activists have been jailed for a raid that caused £1.2m of damage at an Elbit Systems factory near Bristol, after a judge ruled the offending had a “terrorism connection.”

Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21, were convicted after breaking into the site of the Israel-based defence company in August 2024. The BBC reported that the case is believed to be the first in the UK in which criminal damage convictions have been classified as connected to terrorism.

At Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Johnson said the activists caused serious property damage as part of an effort to influence the British government. Al Jazeera reported that Johnson also said the action was intended to intimidate Elbit Systems, which it described as Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer.

Corner, a former Oxford student, received the longest sentence: seven years and eight months. He was convicted of criminal damage and inflicting grievous bodily harm on police Sergeant Kate Evans, whose spine was fractured when he struck her with a sledgehammer during the raid. The judge said Corner had used “extreme and gratuitous force against a vulnerable police officer acting in the course of her duties.”

Head, who drove a van through the gates of the site, was sentenced to five years in prison. Kamio also received a five-year term, while Rajwani was jailed for four years and eight months. The four will not qualify for early release provisions; the Parole Board will assess their risk to the public before deciding when they can be freed. Each will also serve an additional year on licence in the community after release.

Johnson said two of the activists livestreamed the raid and posted footage on social media as part of an effort to “glorify criminality and vigilantism.” He said they had been “reckless” about who would be injured and had been heavily involved in organising the raid, with a veto over each part of the plan.

Sgt Evans, reading an impact statement in court, said she was still receiving medical treatment and had been forced to give up her rank after the attack. “The emotional impact of this incident has been profound and ongoing,” she said. “I experience disturbed sleep, often waking in a panicked state or after distressing dreams.” She said Corner showed “no sign of shock or regret” and tried to “justify his actions with baseless and offensive claims that [she] was complicit in genocide.”

Avon and Somerset Police Chief Constable Sarah Crew said after sentencing: “What happened that night changed the life of one of our officers. For Sgt Evans, this has been deeply personal, painful and lasting. It is important everyone realises that behind every uniform is an ordinary person.”

Lawyers for the defendants opposed the prosecution’s request to treat the offending as terrorism-related. Rajiv Menon KC, representing Head and leading for all defendants, said the application “undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and amounts to chilling and creeping authoritarianism.” He said it would be unfair for the court to draw conclusions about the activists’ motivations after the prosecution sought to exclude evidence on that issue.

The activists said their aim was to destroy equipment they believed would be sent to Israel and used against Palestinians. The Filton 25 Defence Committee said the four “destroyed over 40 Israeli weapons, including killer drones,” and said the ruling would be appealed.

About 500 supporters gathered outside court. The BBC reported that the Metropolitan Police said 107 people were arrested and taken into custody, while Al Jazeera reported 72 arrests for holding signs in support of Palestine Action.

Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist organisation last July. The BBC reported that the move was declared unlawful by the High Court in February, though the group has remained proscribed. Al Jazeera reported that a High Court ruling on the government’s appeal against lifting the ban was due shortly after Friday’s sentencing.