Four members of the activist group Palestine Action have been convicted of criminal damage after forcibly entering a facility operated by Israel-based defence contractor Elbit Systems in August 2024. The incident, which involved significant property destruction, has sparked widespread debate over the boundaries of protest and the use of violence.
Details of the Incident
The four individuals—Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21—were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court after they orchestrated a break-in at the Elbit Systems factory near Bristol. During the raid, the activists reportedly caused around £1 million worth of damage by using tools to dismantle equipment, including computers and drones, which they believed would be used by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza.
The group utilised a decommissioned prison van to crash through security barriers at the site. Footage from the event, which was subsequently shared on social media, shows the activists dressed in red jumpsuits engaging with security personnel and police officers. In the course of the altercation, Corner inflicted
