Key Points
- Six Palestine Action activists acquitted of aggravated burglary following 2024 raid on Elbit Systems factory in Filton near Bristol.
- Jury unable to reach verdicts on criminal damage charges, paving way for potential retrial sought by Crown Prosecution Service.
- Raid caused approximately £1 million in damage; one police officer suffered fractured spine after being struck with sledgehammer.
- Activists targeted Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit to protest alleged role in Gaza conflict; group later proscribed as terrorist organisation.
- Remaining members of larger “Filton 24” group still awaiting trial after extended pretrial detentions.
Clydebank (Glasgow Express) February 18, 2026 – Six activists from the proscribed group Palestine Action face a retrial on criminal damage charges after their acquittal on aggravated burglary related to a raid on an Elbit Systems factory.
The incident occurred in the early hours of August 6, 2024, at the Israeli defence firm’s facility in Filton, near Bristol, where protesters rammed gates with a van and damaged equipment inside. Prosecutors described the action as causing £1 million in damage, with bodycam footage showing one defendant striking a police officer with a sledgehammer, resulting in a fractured spine.
What happened during the original trial?
The six defendants—Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin—were cleared of aggravated burglary by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court after over 36 hours of deliberation. The panel could not agree on criminal damage counts, leading the Crown Prosecution Service to seek a retrial amid criticism from lawmakers, police, and Jewish groups, according to Times of Israel reporting.
As reported by unattributed staff of The Jerusalem Post, the activists argued their raid aimed to destroy drones used in Gaza without intending harm to people, framing it as opposition to Israel’s military actions post-October 7, 2023. Judge Jeremy Johnson instructed the jury to focus solely on evidence, disregarding the group’s later terrorist proscription.
Why are prosecutors pursuing a retrial?
The Crown Prosecution Service announced its intent for a retrial on criminal damage following the acquittals, responding to public and official uproar over the burglary verdicts. Human Rights Watch noted the jury’s inability to reach consensus on damage charges, highlighting extended pretrial detentions for the defendants, some exceeding 500 days.
What role did Palestine Action play?
Palestine Action, banned as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, organised the raid as part of broader direct actions against Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons maker. Mondoweiss reported the activists destroyed quadcopter drones inside the factory, with defence lawyer Rajiv Menon KC telling the jury the target was a firm involved in Palestinian deaths, not civilians.
What are the next steps for those involved?
Over 20 Palestine Action members from the “Filton 24” remain in custody awaiting trial, including some who undertook hunger strikes protesting detention conditions and the Gaza situation. The group’s proscription faces High Court judicial review, with a verdict pending.
Clare Rogers, mother of defendant Zoe Rogers, stated to Mondoweiss:
“Our loved one’s action against Elbit Systems and the state’s brutal response have exposed the true values of the government.”
