In a victory for UK Palestine solidarity organization Palestine Action, six activists of the Filton 24 were acquitted or not convicted of the charges against them after being arrested for sabotaging an Israeli weapons factory Elbit Systems in Filton, England used in the genocide of Palestinians.
The six activists on trial—Samuel Corner, 23; Jordan Devlin, 31; Charlotte Head, 29; Leona Kamio, 30; Fatema Rajwani, 21; and Zoe Rogers, 22—were charged with aggravated burglary, violent disorder and criminal damage.
All six defendants had plead not guilty to all charges but admitted to the sabotage, making the case that it was done to save the lives of Palestinians being killed by the weapons produced at the factory. After weeks of testimony, the jury acquitted all six of aggravated burglary, the most serious allegation, which carries a potential life sentence.
The prosecution sought to prove that activists used sledgehammers not only to destroy weapons of imperialist war, but to harm the security guards who intervened.
After reviewing extensive video evidence, jurors concluded there was no proof the activists intended to harm anyone. Three defendants—Devlin, Rajwani and Rogers—were found not guilty of violent disorder. The jury did not reach a verdict for the remaining defendants on the charges of violent disorder or criminal damage.
Videos shown in court exposed that it was the guards who escalated the violence, with footage depicting one guard wielding a whip and another striking Devlin with a sledgehammer.
Defendant Corner faced an additional charge of grievous bodily harm relating to injuries sustained by a security guard. After medical evidence was presented by the defense showing that the injury was not serious, the jury was also unable to reach a verdict on this charge.
For the charges where no majority verdict was reached, the state is pursuing retrials. On this basis, Corner remains in custody while the other five activists were released on bail on February 4.
In another victory for the Palestine solidarity movement, Palestine Action’s July 2025 designation as a terrorist organization by UK courts was declared unlawful this month. While the designation still remains, a hearing set for February 20 will decide whether or not the government has grounds to appeal the ruling.
Photo: Filton six.
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