Key facts
- A jury failed to convict eight Palestine Action supporters accused of criminal damage and violent disorder at an Elbit Systems facility.
- Prosecutors may seek a retrial for the activists.
- In a separate case, a jury also failed to reach a verdict for four activists accused of criminal damage at a Moog facility.
- The Filton Elbit Systems break-in involved activists breaching security and causing damage.
- A 'terrorism connection' to the charges in the Filton case was kept secret from the jury.
- Four activists from the Filton case were later sentenced as terrorists, with sentences ranging from 4 to 8 years.
A jury has failed to reach a verdict for eight Palestine Action supporters accused of criminal damage and violent disorder related to a protest at an Elbit Systems facility in Filton, near Bristol. The action, which occurred in August 2024, targeted the UK operations of Israel's largest arms company.
Prosecutors charged the defendants with criminal damage and violent disorder over the incident at the Elbit Systems facility, which is a research, development, and manufacturing hub for the Israeli weapons company. None of the eight entered the factory itself during the protest. The judge discharged the jury after it could not reach a conviction.
In a separate but similar case, a jury at Birmingham Crown Court was also discharged after failing to reach a verdict for four pro-Palestine activists accused of criminal damage at a Wolverhampton facility owned by US-based aerospace firm Moog. These activists admitted to breaking into the facility but argued their actions were lawful as they sought to save lives by stopping the shipment of components for aircraft used in Israel's actions in Gaza.
Footage shown during the Moog trial depicted activists driving a vehicle through the factory's gates and damaging solar panels and skylight windows. The defence argued that the activists' actions were justified by the need to stop the supply of military aircraft parts to Israel, with one defendant stating the goal was to save lives by shutting down the factory.
Regarding the Elbit Systems case, the legal process was marked by several notable features. The defendants were reportedly forbidden from mentioning the Gaza Genocide, and a 'terrorism connection' to the charges, applied by the judge in a preliminary ruling, was kept secret from the jury and the public. This 'terrorism enhancement' was based on the property damage being caused with the intent to influence the Israeli government by restricting their access to weapons and advancing a political or ideological cause.
Following a retrial in the Elbit Systems case, four activists were convicted of criminal damage and a lesser charge of GBH without intent, after initial charges of aggravated burglary and violent disorder were dropped or resulted in acquittals. These four were later sentenced as terrorists, with sentences ranging from 4 to 8 years. This marked the first time in British legal history that protestors convicted of property damage faced a terrorism designation upon sentencing.
Palestine Action is known for targeting firms associated with the Israeli military, particularly those supplying weapons used against Palestinians. The Elbit facility in Filton had been under sustained protest pressure, with activists claiming it manufactured quadcopter drones used by the Israeli military in Gaza.