Hundreds rally outside Woolwich Court for Gaza activists sentencing
Around 500 Palestine Action supporters stood outside Woolwich Crown Court on Friday as their fellow protesters, who are being sentenced for entering an arms factory in Bristol in 2024, damaging £1.2m worth of property and assaulting a police officer. Caption: Protesters outside Woolwich Crown Court, London, during a hearing where Palestine Action activists are due to be sentenced over over a break-in at the UK base of an Israel-based defence firm, Elbit Systems site near Bristol on August 6 2024. Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona
Kamio and Fatema Rajwani were convicted of criminal damage, while Corner was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm when he fractured a police officer’s spine during the raid. Picture date: Friday June 12, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA WirePhotographer: Yui MokProvider: Yui Mok/PA WireSource: PACopyright: PA Wire Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 12: Hundreds of activists gather in support of four of the Filton defendants due to be sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on June 12, 2026 in London, England.
Four of “the Filton 25” activists convicted of causing over ??1 million in damage to an Elbit Systems factory face potential sentencing as terrorists under Section 69 of the Sentencing Act 2020, after Mr Justice Johnson applied a “terrorist connection” to their criminal damage convictions. This controversial, post-trial mechanism subjects the pro-Palestinian activists to severe parole restrictions and long-term counter-terrorism notification requirements despite the jury not considering terrorism charges. (Photo by Guy Smallman/Getty Images)Photographer: Guy SmallmanProvider: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images Europe
Palestine Action, Woolwich Crown Court, Elbit Systems, Filton 25, sentencing, terrorist connection, Section 69 Sentencing Act 2020, criminal damage, grievous bodily harm
So they broke into an arms factory and hurt a cop… and people are calling it activism? I don’t get it.
I saw the headline and thought it was about Gaza protesters just getting arrested again, like always. But then it says arms factory and 1.2 million damage?? Sounds like they shouldn’t be surprised by consequences.
Wait, they’re being sentenced under something like “terrorist connection” even though the jury didn’t convict for terrorism? That’s wild. Not saying what they did was fine, but the system sounds sketchy like they already decided before court.
Honestly I can’t keep up with which side is doing what. Isn’t this the same company people were talking about last year, like Elbit Systems? If they were “activists” why are they breaking stuff and fracturing a spine like that, that’s just messed up. Also the article says hundreds rallied, but I’m sure social media will spin it as peaceful anyway.