In its quest to punish all those who stand up for Palestine and against British support for Zionism, the state is particularly keen to make an example out of the 25 Palestine Action activists arrested in relation to the August 2024 action at the Filton factory of Israeli weapons manufacturers Elbit Systems UK.
To date there have been two initial trials and one retrial, involving 14 defendants. Of these, two have been cleared of all charges, seven are on bail pending a retrial that may not take place until 2028, one is ‘unlawfully at large’ and four are in prison, following their sentencing to draconian terms of imprisonment in June, as the trial judge employed a sentencing power whereby non-terrorism convictions attract harsher sentences by being designated ‘terrorism related’. An appeal against these sentences was submitted on 3 September.
On 21 September the third trial of six activists began at Woolwich Crown Court. Supporters of the Filton 25 will be protesting regularly in solidarity. Having struggled to obtain convictions in the earlier trials, the prosecution will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that it can spin the line that those who were involved with Palestine Action prior to its July 2025 Terrorism Act proscription are a serious threat to society. This will then play into the narrative required for the Supreme Court hearing on 4-5 November at which the ban on Palestine Action will be tested at the highest judicial level, following previous rulings in the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Sean Middleborough, the Filton defendant who since October 2025 has evaded the clutches of the system, told FRFI:
‘We will surely defeat Elbit in our campaigns, as the Raytheon 9 did. When smashing up an arms factory consistently grants a Not Guilty verdict by jury, that is when the Zionist arms manufacturers on our doorstep will be economically and politically compelled to leave, significantly disrupting their war machine in the process and galvanising the masses as to what we can achieve next.’
