A London court has acquitted six Palestine Action members of aggravated burglary following a break-in at an Israeli-linked defence company's facility near Bristol.
Samuel Corner, 23, Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, Fatema Rajwani, 21, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were all found not guilty of the charge after jurors at Woolwich Crown Court spent 36 hours considering their verdicts.
The accused had denied aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder in connection with the incident at the Elbit Systems UK factory during the early hours of August 6, 2024.
Prosecutors alleged the six activists, dressed in red boiler suits and carrying sledgehammers, deployed a prison van as a "battering ram" to gain entry to the premises.
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The raid was described as "meticulously organised" by the prosecution.
Once inside, the group allegedly discharged red paint from fire extinguishers throughout the building.
They were also accused of using crowbars and hammers to destroy computer equipment and boxes containing technical products.
The disabled toilet facilities were also reportedly smashed during the incident.
The accused had denied aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder
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Elbit Systems UK produces defence technology equipment and is a British-registered firm with an Israeli parent company.
The jury was unable to reach verdicts on the criminal damage allegations against all six defendants.
Rajwani, Rogers and Devlin were acquitted of violent disorder, although jurors could not agree on this charge for the remaining three activists.
Corner faces an additional allegation of causing grievous bodily harm, on which the jury also failed to reach a verdict.
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Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last year
| GETTYThe Oxford graduate was accused of striking Police Sergeant Kate Evans on the back with a sledgehammer while she lay on the ground, allegedly causing a fracture to her lumbar spine.
Prosecutors noted that Palestine Action's proscription under terrorism legislation last July occurred after the alleged incident and was not relevant to proceedings.
All defendants except metal worker Devlin admitted to destroying Elbit property, including drones and computers, the jury heard.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court "rightly or wrongly", the activists "genuinely believed the attack on Elbit" would assist the Palestinian cause in Gaza.
However, she argued the group were "willing to go further" than property damage alone.
The prosecutor claimed they were prepared to "injure people, if necessary… anyone who got in their way and tried to stop them achieving their goal, which was no less than to shut Elbit down".
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