UK charges pro-Palestine group members under terrorism law
Palestine Action members are accused of burglary, violent disorder at building belonging to Israeli defence firm Elbit.
British counterterrorism police have charged seven people with violent disorder over a break-in at a building belonging to Israeli defence firm Elbit in southwest England.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that seven people, aged between 20 and 51, have been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary over an incident at the Elbit Systems premises in South Gloucestershire on August 6.
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“On the facts of this case, the CPS will be submitting to the court that these offences have a terrorist connection,” the CPS said in a statement.
Members of Palestine Action were due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Tuesday.
Avon and Somerset Police said the group forced its way into the building and “seriously assaulted” staff after smashing the gate with a vehicle and driving into the compound.
Palestine Action rejected allegations of violence against police and security staff and said the authorities had launched a “smear campaign” to prejudice the outcome of the trial and “lay the groundwork for the police unjust use of authoritarian powers”.
“We refuse to be intimidated into allowing a genocide to happen,” it said in a statement.
On its website, the group describes itself as aimed at “dismantling British complicity with Israeli apartheid”.
It adds that “direct action against Elbit aims to disrupt this: targeting the source of colonial violence and genocide against the Palestinian people, undermining Elbit’s profiteering from Israel’s daily massacres”.
Israel’s largest arms manufacturer is known to supply some 85 percent of the land and air munitions used by its military.
Elbit says on its website that its United Kingdom subsidiary employs 680 people at 16 sites, working on multiple programmes for the British military.
Since its formation in 2020, Palestine Action has forced the permanent closure of Elbit’s Oldham factory and pushed the company to abandon its London headquarters.
In 2022, the group’s protest action led to the dissolution of contracts worth 280 million pounds ($358m) between the UK Ministry of Defence and Elbit Systems and prompted several British and European companies to cut ties with Elbit permanently.
Rajeev Syal
Tue, 13 August 2024
The protest happened at the Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway, Gloucestershire, on 6 August.Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters
Seven people have been charged using terror laws over a Palestine Action protest at an Israeli-based defence firm’s site, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
The incident happened at the Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway, Gloucestershire, on 6 August. The CPS said it would be submitting to the court that the offences had a “terrorist connection”.
Avon and Somerset police said a group of people forced their way into the building, using a vehicle to smash through the doors, before employees were “seriously assaulted”.
The force said two of its officers who attended the disruption were also “seriously assaulted in the course of their duties”.
Palestine Action have issued a statement saying the police and CPS claims are designed to prejudice opinion and legal proceedings against activists.
Video footage shared by the group last week showed activists spraying red paint and using sledgehammers to damage machinery inside the facility.
Samuel Corner, 22, has been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder, aggravated burglary, grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of actual bodily harm.
Jordan Devlin, 30, Charlotte Head, 28, Leona Kameo, 28, Fatema Rajwani, 20, and Zoe Rogers, 20, have all been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary.
Hannah Davidson, 51, has been charged with criminal damage and aggravated burglary.
They were all charged by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, which is leading the investigation, and will appear at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday.
A 45-year-old man from Warwickshire remains in custody on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after magistrates granted a warrant allowing detectives to further question him until Friday.
A 33-year-old man from Manchester also remains in custody on suspicion of the same offence, with magistrates granting detectives a warrant to question him until Saturday.
Supt Dan Forster, the north-east area commander for Avon and Somerset police, said: “At this stage, it appears those involved have travelled into the Avon and Somerset police area from other parts of the country to commit these serious offences.
“We’re not aware of any wider risk to the local community in South Gloucestershire, or any other part of our force area, but we’d encourage anyone with concerns to speak with a member of their neighbourhood policing team, either through 101 or through our website.”
A statement released by Palestine Action on social media said: “As well as detaining them under unprecedented powers, police have launched a smear campaign against the detained actionists alleging violence against police and security guards.
“The activists are unable to respond to these claims … Palestine Action contends that these statements are designed to prejudice opinion and legal proceedings against activists and the lay the groundwork for the police’s unjust use of authoritarian powers.”
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