THE first six defendants in the Filton 24 case appeared at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday, after being held for more than a year on remand for an action targeting Elbit Systems.
Elbit is the Israeli weapons manufacturer whose technology has played a central role in the devastation of Gaza.
The group, all linked to Palestine Action, is accused of entering Elbit’s newly built Bristol facility in August 2024, exposing what was publicly advertised as a mere ‘R&D site’ but in reality housed weapons and drone components custom-made for Israel’s military assault.
Their action revealed equipment tied to some of the most disturbing tools deployed in Gaza, including drone systems (quadcopters) used to lure, injure and kill civilians.
This is the first time entire weapons systems for foreign use have been found on British soil.
For this, the state has pursued them as though they were a national security threat rather than individuals acting out of a clear moral imperative to prevent further bloodshed.
Despite no terrorism charges ever being filed, the Filton 24 have been subjected to counter-terrorism powers from day one – detained, denied bail, and held for prolonged periods without meaningful communication.
United Nations experts have condemned the UK’s behaviour as tantamount to ‘enforced disappearance’ and criticised the ‘unjustified’ use of counter-terror measures against activists attempting to halt the flow of weapons into a genocide.’
Meanwhile, correspondence shows sustained pressure from Israeli officials urging the UK government to crack down on anti-weapons direct action.
This trial marks the first attempt in Britain to treat political property damage as equivalent to terrorism – an unprecedented and dangerous expansion of state power.
Under the current Labour government, many defendants will have spent nearly two years behind bars before even standing trial.
The stakes extend far beyond these six individuals. The Filton 24 case is a testbed for using counter-terror legislation to shield the UK-Israel arms pipeline from scrutiny and resistance.
Zoe Rogers, one of the defendants, said ahead of her trial: ‘We are simply collateral damage in the government’s single minded determination to put its business interest and its relationship with Israel first, as it partners in the slaughter of Palestinians.’
Naila Ahmed, rights group CAGE International’s Head of Campaigns, said: ‘The treatment of the Filton 24 demonstrates a brazen attempt to criminalise dissent, and to shield Elbit Systems – an Israeli company whose weapons are directly responsible for the maiming and killing of civilians in Gaza, that operates freely on British soil.
‘Today marks the start of trial for the first six, the first of four trials that will take place over two years. Today is the first opportunity to put Elbit in the dock and hold them to account in open court.’
