In the last two issues of FRFI the Prisoners Fightback page has featured contributions from comrades imprisoned in relation to direct action for Palestine. Stuart, who wrote from Scotland in FRFI 303, is now free, having completed his sentence. Francesca, whose article was in FRFI 304, has been released on bail pending trial. FRFI continues to stand in solidarity with everyone who takes action for Palestine, and in this issue we have a contribution from Sean Middleborough, who is one of the Filton 18, and who is currently held in Wandsworth prison in south London.
On 5 August 2024 six Palestine actionists were arrested inside the factory of an Elbit Systems weapons site in Filton, Bristol. Video shared online of the actions showed destroyed quadcopter drones – the same model of drone that a few months prior a British doctor had given a televised testimony revealing how Israel were playing the sound of crying babies from the drones to lure Palestinians out from their rubble homes and drop grenades on them. The brave Palestine actionists were further arrested in a police station and charged with terrorist offences. Others were arrested days or weeks later for allegedly having a role in the action that massively destroyed and impeded Elbit’s newest £32m site for weeks, while also costing the operations millions. I watched on social media over the weeks how the Filton 6 became the Filton 10, and then the outrageous charge of terrorism. While mothers of the Filton 10 shared stories of their own arrests and intimidation by pig forces, I saw more and more people coming together to protest and share the injustice of the charges of the Filton 10 and the abuse of the counter-terrorism pigs. I scrolled Pal Action social in shame that in this country being accused of preventing genocide can have you labelled a terrorist.
For over three months support grew. And then, on 19 November 2024, I was arrested in a pre-dawn raid under Section Five of the Terrorism Act 2000, which concerns the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terror. Well, they said something about ‘Elbit systems, Bristol, Palestine Action’. I can’t remember the arrest well, but I remember that even my mum and little brother were placed in handcuffs, and my brother wasn’t even allowed clothes on for a long time. I’d like to thank Cage International for helping my family to lodge complaints.
I arrived in Manchester, at the North West counter-terrorism headquarters, on the icy cold morning, wearing sliders without socks, prisoner pants that I used as pyjamas from a previous arrest and a Palestine Action hoodie that was promptly taken off me before four days of interrogation. It was pretty unexpected, I won’t lie, but what I found out throughout this experience was that eight of us were arrested simultaneously across the country. I couldn’t believe it yet, but it turned out the Filton 10, whose updates I had followed for months, had become the Filton 18, and I was one of them. I’ve been in prison five months now, supported throughout, as are the others I’m sure, as the political prisoners we are. I have received mail from FRFI South London, which I’m grateful for.
It is practically unachievable to have a trial with 18 defendants. I don’t think that there’s a dock in the country that big. So our trials are going to be split up, but the charges and so-called evidence remain the same: aggravated burglary, conspiracy to cause criminal damage and violent disorder. Personally, I don’t even have a trial date yet, so I’m just going to be in prison for donkey’s years, by the looks of it. Despite all this time in the cell, I’m still unable to see the terrorists supposed to be in the room with me.
Elbit denies exporting weapons to the racist, Zionist state but, in reality, we know that it has over 82 export licences to Israel from 2022. Elbit produces hardware like MacArthur tanks, unique to IOF forces, in Britain, and what’s most damning in their false claims is that a senior Elbit staff member is literally on YouTube telling the workers at the very Filton sites that got hit on 5 August 2024 that this site is crucial in achieving our/Israel’s military objectives.
We have to expose Britain’s complicity, and that’s what Palestine Action does. Which leads me to believe that the most likely reason why the state has brought the T-charge on us is that Palestine Action has permanently shut down four Elbit sites in as many years. The board of one of its subsidiaries even voted unanimously to break with its parent company, Elbit Systems, and now they’re making parts for public transport since 2023.
Palestine Action’s direct action has also cost Elbit Systems at least tens of millions of pounds in damage and physical capital and loss of earnings. They are still forced to pay their quasi-civilian military workers, while increasing security costs. Furthermore, Elbit has lost over £300m in British Ministry of Defence contracts. In Parliament, the reason was stated as frequent security breaches. The cost of working with Elbit is too high, which is why many of its partners, from website hosts, recruitment firms and landlords, have abandoned them as a result of direct action. What’s most likely is that Elbit Systems have cried to mummy Home Office for so long that their business of breaking international law is unfairly impeded, that the British state has used the Bristol action as an excuse to violate 18 of us actionists and people they accuse of having an organisation role in what they call PAG – Palestine Action Group. But Palestine Action is not a group. Palestine Action is literally people taking action. It’s hundreds of the finest, bravest individuals in the western world, who saw how, then showed others to achieve all of the previously mentioned, historically unprecedented victories. That’s what terrifies them – people acting on the highest models Western bourgeois dictatorships teach to their people, but without the institutional racism and supremacist values that come with them; they’re terrified of real civilisation.
As a revolutionary communist, I would rather be in prison accused of disrupting an ongoing genocide than accused of not doing enough at the time, particularly when the means of destruction are on my doorstep. I call on you and your trusted friends to build a formidable prison movement for all political prisoners. Demonstrate, educate, and communicate with us and with the people. Take a stand – stand with us until the jury stands, finding us not guilty, knowing that Elbit is guilty.
FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! 305 April/May 2025
Before his imprisonment Sean hosted a political podcast and he has turned his journalistic skills to chronicling his imprisonment in spoken form. See Diaries of a Political Prisoner @diarypolprisoner on Instagram for more information and to access the episodes.
