Palestine Action protesters found not guilty of Elbit burglary

Six Palestine Action protesters have been found not guilty of aggravated burglary at an Elbit weapons site near Bristol.

Zoe Rogers, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio and Jordan Devlin were also not convicted of any other charges by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday.

The group were on trial for a break-in at an Israeli-owned arms factory on 6 August 2024 at the height of the genocide in Gaza.

Keir Starmer’s Labour government only placed partial restrictions on arms exports to Israel the following month.

The activists spent 18 months on remand before their trial began in November 2025.

Jurors did not convict them of any charges despite the judge trying to limit defences available to the activists.

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said: “These verdicts are a huge blow to government ministers who have tried to portray Palestine Action as a violent group to justify banning it under badly drafted terrorism legislation.

“Despite government efforts to prejudice this trial, citing the allegations of violence to justify treating Palestine Action as ‘terrorists’, as if they were already proved, the jury which heard the evidence has refused to find the defendants guilty of anything, not even criminal damage.

“It shows how out of step this government is with public opinion, which is revulsed by the Government and Elbit’s complicity in genocide.”

Around 40 family and friends of the defendants were gathered outside Woolwich Crown Court, hugging and crying.

Inside bail hearings were ongoing for the six with rulings expected before 3pm. Friends said they hoped they would be coming out today.

Moved to a patch of grass outside the court, several in the crowd shared a meal on paper plates and greeted an increasing number supporters who arrived by public transport.

“I’m so happy,” one supporter shouted.

A truck carrying prisoners passed by with an audible banging sound from inside. The crowd welped and started to cheer. One drummed.

A supporter acknowledged the truck probably didn’t hold the defendants. “We’re just excited,” they said.