Palestine Action activists who caused an estimated £1.2 million of damage at an Israeli firm’s UK factory will be sentenced for carrying out an “act of terrorism”, a judge has ruled.
Mr Justice Johnson told Woolwich Crown Court the damage done was “not trivial or minor” and the aim of the raid was to either stop Elbit operating or “cause the government to prevent it operating”.
Fatema Rajwani, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner and Leona Kamio were convicted of criminal damage last month in relation to a break-in at the Elbit factory in Filton, near Bristol, in August 2024.
Simon Robinson, a security manager for the Israeli-based defence firm, told the court at the sentencing hearing that the estimated cost of the damage caused by the group, who took sledgehammers to equipment, was £1.2 million.
All four are due to be sentenced on Friday afternoon and could now see their sentences effectively doubled after Johnson ruled that he would pass sentence on a criminal damage charge on the basis that the crime was carried out with a “terrorist connection”.
This will see them sentenced under the Terrorism Act, meaning they will likely not be eligible for parole until at least 2/3 through their prison term, instead of 40 per cent as is the case for non-terror offences of this kind.
The judge said the raid had the intention of stopping Elbit weapons and technology from being used in Gaza, rather than attempting to influence the policies of the Israeli government itself.
But he found that the group had caused serious damage and was attempting to “shut down” Elbit or influence the British Government into blocking the company’s operations in the UK.
He said all the defendants were “well aware of the underlying sentiment and aims and strategies of Palestine Action”.
Johnson added: “Each defendant agreed to take part in high-level actions, and did so with the shared aim of shutting down Elbit and ending what they regarded as British complicity in Israeli war crimes.”
He ruled: “I’m satisfied the action was designed to influence the UK government and also to intimidate a section of the public, and was for the purpose of advancing an ideological or political cause.”
Rajwani broke down crying in the dock as the ruling was announced.
Supporters of the activists have argued against such a ruling, as Johnson had ruled prior to the trial that the jury should not be informed that such a sentencing outcome was a possibility in the case.
Defend Our Juries, which has organised protests against the proscription of Palestine Action, has submitted a complaint to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), accusing Johnson of exhibiting “manifest bias and discrimination” against the defendants and calling for him to be thrown off the case.
Meanwhile, 72 people were arrested during protests outside the court on suspicion of displaying support for a proscribed organisation.
The demonstrators had been holding signs reading “saving lives is not terrorism, I support Palestine Action”, according to a Met Police spokesperson.
Former Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was also in attendance at the protest, though there is no suggestion he displayed support for Palestine Action nor that he was arrested.
He told the Press Association on Friday afternoon: “[Fatema] has served her time [remanded in custody awaiting trial] and now she’s being sentenced again.
“The worry I’ve got is because the government has proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation – I voted against that – she will now be possibly sentenced on terrorist charges.
"I think that’s unjust. By introducing this terrorist element retrospectively, it’s completely unjust. And I think, actually, if a jury had heard that, I think they’d be free now.
"So I’m actually astounded that this has happened. I’m very angry about it as well.
“That’s why they should be released today. There’s a debate to be had about whether it was a crime as well, because they believed that they were trying to prevent the further killing of Palestinian children.”
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