Four activists from the group Palestine Action have been jailed for a total of more than 22 years after a raid on an Israeli-linked defence factory in Bristol. The case is believed to be the first time in the UK that convictions for criminal damage have been classified as being connected to terrorism, setting a potentially significant legal precedent.
Palestine Action is a UK-based protest group that describes itself as a direct-action network opposing what it calls the “Israeli occupation” and the “arms trade” with Israel. The group has carried out several high-profile actions in recent years, including occupying factories, smashing windows, and damaging equipment at sites linked to Israeli defence companies. Its members argue that peaceful protest has failed and that more disruptive tactics are necessary to draw attention to the situation in Gaza. The group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government, meaning membership or support for it is a criminal offence.
“Explains the Palestine Action group, the Filton Four case, and why the terrorism classification matters.”
The Filton Four — Charlotte Head, 30; Samuel Corner, 23; Leona Kamio, 30; and Fatema Rajwani, 21 — were convicted after they broke into the Elbit Systems UK factory near Bristol on 6 August 2024. They used an old prison van to crash through the security fence, then used sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy computers, drones and other equipment. The damage totalled £1.2 million. During the raid, Corner struck police sergeant Kate Evans on the back with a sledgehammer, fracturing her spine. Corner was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and grievous bodily harm. Head and Kamio each received five years, and Rajwani was sentenced to four years and eight months. All four will serve an additional one year on licence after their release.
Sentencing them at Woolwich Crown Court, Mr Justice Johnson ruled that the offences had a terrorist connection because the activists aimed to “influence the government” and “intimidate the public”. He said they had been “reckless” about who would be injured and had livestreamed the raid to “glorify criminality and vigilantism”. The judge noted that the defendants had taken matters into their own hands after becoming “disillusioned” with legal efforts to oppose the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.
For UK readers, this case matters because it marks a shift in how the courts treat vandalism that is politically motivated. Previously, criminal damage alone — however large-scale — was rarely linked to terrorism. This judgement could affect how future protests are policed and prosecuted, particularly those involving groups that use direct action against companies. Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski called the sentences a “truly dangerous attack on the right to protest”, while Labour MP John McDonnell described them as “truly shocking”.
Q: What is Palestine Action? Palestine Action is a UK protest network that says it uses “direct action” to disrupt companies that supply Israel’s military. It has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government, meaning it is illegal to be a member or to display support for the group.
Q: Why were these convictions classified as terrorism? The judge ruled that the activists’ actions were intended to “influence the government” and “intimidate the public”, meeting the legal definition of terrorism. This is the first time criminal damage alone has been treated as a terrorism offence in the UK.
Q: Could this affect other protests in the UK? Yes. The ruling sets a legal precedent that could allow other politically motivated acts of damage to be prosecuted as terrorism, potentially increasing sentences and restricting the right to protest. Critics argue this could chill lawful, non-violent protest.
What happens next will depend on whether the Filton Four appeal their sentences. Meanwhile, the police officer injured in the raid, Sgt Kate Evans, continues to receive medical treatment and has had to give up her rank. The Parole Board will assess each prisoner’s risk to the public before they can be released, and they will not be eligible for early release.