On 4 February 2026, the British state’s attempts to criminalise resistance to the Zionist genocide in Gaza suffered a humiliating defeat. At Woolwich Crown Court, a jury refused to convict the first six members of the Filton 24 – the Palestine Action activists who took direct action against Elbit Systems’ research hub in Bristol in August 2024. Supporters have protested outside the court throughout the trial, and as news of the verdicts came through, a huge crowd assembled to celebrate the victory.
All six were found Not Guilty of Aggravated Burglary and three activists – Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin – Not Guilty of violent disorder. On all the other counts – violent disorder in relation to Lottie Head, Samuel Corner and Ellie Kamio, criminal damage for all six, and a single count of grievous bodily harm (GBH) alleged against Sam Corner – the jury was unable to reach a verdict. With the case against them now in tatters, the court which had repeatedly refused bail to all the Filton 24, had little option but to direct the release of five of the six activists. Unfortunately, the GBH provided sufficient pretext for Sam Corner’s bail to still be denied.
After 18 months’ pre-trial detention, during which the British state used counter-terrorism powers to intimidate and silence the prisoners, the acquittal of the Filton 6 is a monumental victory for the anti-imperialist movement. It is a clear signal that despite the Labour government’s desperate attempts to protect the Israeli state, the working class and ordinary people refuse to be complicit in the slaughter of Palestinians.
From the outset, the prosecution of the Filton 24 has been a political hit job. The activists were arrested under Terrorism Act powers and the ‘terrorism’ label applied to them repeatedly, despite their never being charged with terror offences. This was a calculated move by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Home Office to demonise activists as ‘extremists’ in the eyes of the public, justify the subsequent proscription of Palestine Action, deny bail and inflict punitive prison conditions.
The Zionist-supporting British state sought to use these trials to set a precedent – to scare those who may take action against the genocide of the Palestinians and to show that in the eyes of British ‘justice’, property damage against the machinery of death is a greater crime than the industrial-scale murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians. The Filton case was repeatedly cited in parliament as justification for proscribing Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act.
The prosecution case rested on the narrative of ‘violent disorder’. However, the Filton 6 successfully argued that their actions were a necessary response to a greater crime: genocide. Despite the judge’s attempts to restrict such ‘lawful excuse’ defences, the jury’s refusal to convict on the most serious charges proves that the British ruling class is losing its grip on the narrative. The state’s desperation was further exposed by revelations of political interference in the case, including meetings between the Israeli Embassy and the Attorney General’s office.
As we celebrate this victory, we must step up campaigning. The remainder of the Filton 24 still face the weight of the state’s legal machinery. The Brize Norton 5 and Moog 4 prisoners continue to be held on remand pending similar trials. Thousands of pro-Palestine activists have been swept up in a wave of repression aimed at the most militant sections of the Palestine solidarity movement, and face punitive bail conditions and drawn out court proceedings, including the SOAS 2, the many people charged with holding placards opposing the proscription of Palestine Action, and now the Wormwood Scrubs 86.
The British police, courts, and prisons are instruments of class rule. They do not exist to provide justice but to protect the interests of capital and the arms manufacturers like Elbit Systems who profit from imperialist war.
This acquittal is not a gift from the courts; it is a product of the unwavering courage of the actionists and the pressure of a sustained solidarity movement. We win in the courts what we win in the streets! We must now redouble our efforts to:
- Demand the immediate release of the remaining Filton 24 prisoners and all political prisoners in British gaols.
- Scrap the Terrorism Act which is used to criminalise and silence political struggle..
- Intensify the struggle for full and immediate cultural, diplomatic, economic and military sanctions to be imposed on the Zionist state,
Victory to the Filton 24!
