Palestine Action group cleared of Elbit burglary

Six activists from the Palestine Action group were acquitted of aggravated burglary charges at Woolwich Crown Court on January 15, 2025, following an alleged raid on an Elbit Systems warehouse near Bristol in the early hours of August 6, 2024. The group, consisting of Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin, faced additional charges of criminal damage and violent disorder, but the jury returned partial or no verdicts on these counts. The defendants, who embraced and waved to supporters in the public gallery, had been on trial since November 2025, with the jury deliberating for over 36 hours. The case centered around allegations that the activists targeted Elbit Systems UK, which Palestine Action claims is involved in supplying weapons to the Israeli military, a claim the company vehemently denies. The activists maintained that their actions were non-violent and that they acted in self-defense against what they described as an overreaction by security personnel. The jury found Rajwani, Rogers, and Devlin not guilty of violent disorder, while no verdicts were reached for the remaining defendants on charges of violent disorder and grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial highlighted the contentious issue of corporate accountability in the context of the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the activists' defense arguing that their actions were motivated by a desire to expose and disrupt alleged complicity in military operations.