Editor’s note: This piece was published in the days before the four Palestine Action activists were sentenced. In the end, the judge presiding over the case ruled that there was a terrorism connection to their offences, despite having withheld this information from the jurors. The activists were handed sentences ranging from four years and eight months to seven years and eight months.
A statement from The Filton 25 Defence Committee said: “The four protesters sentenced today destroyed over 40 Israeli weapons, including killer drones, which are used in almost every massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. By taking direct action, they saved lives. That is not terrorism, it is a duty. Today’s ruling will be appealed to correct this serious miscarriage of justice.”
Four Palestine Action activists may this week become the first protesters sentenced as terrorists in Britain – a decision that their supporters told openDemocracy would be an unprecedented escalation in the UK’s crackdown on Palestine solidarity movements.
Lottie Head, 29, Samuel Corner, 23, Ellie Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21, were last month found guilty of criminal damage after breaking into a site belonging to the UK branch of Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems in August 2024 and damaging equipment, including drones and computer systems. Corner was also convicted of grievous bodily harm over an injury a police officer sustained during the incident.
In England and Wales, you do not need to be convicted of a terrorism offence to be sentenced as a terrorist. A court can find that an ordinary criminal offence meets the definition of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000 – a broad definition that includes serious damage to property carried out for a political or ideological cause, where one purpose is to influence a government.
That fact has caused alarm in this case, particularly since Palestine Action was not proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government until July 2025 – almost a year after the protest took place. Despite this, the judge presiding over the hearing, Justice Johnson, ruled that there appeared to be a “terrorist connection” ahead of the trial, but said this could not be disclosed to the jury. Jurors were unaware that finding the activists guilty of criminal damage could lead to them being sentenced as terrorists.
If the court decides to make the terrorism connection at the sentencing on Friday, the activists will serve their whole sentence in prison, unless a parole board approves their release after they complete at least 66% of their sentence. Non-terrorist prisoners usually serve 40% of their sentence.
Even after their release, the defendants may be recorded as terrorists for life. They would have to register any new device, bank account, telephone number, email address, vehicle, relationship and overseas travel plans with the police for the rest of their lives. Failing to comply with these rules, or making a mistake in how they comply, could mean they are returned to prison.
“This is the first time that the terrorism link has been used on a criminal damage case, and the first time that protesters could be sentenced as terrorists in Britain,” an official representative of the Filton Defence Campaign, a Palestine solidarity support group formed around the activists prosecuted after the direct action, told openDemocracy.
The representative said they had “just come off the phone” with one of the prisoners, who described the pressure of awaiting sentence as overwhelming, telling them: “The stress is unbearable sometimes, the uncertainty is endless, and the burden of the fight is exhausting.”
Their families and partners, they said, are “dealing with it differently”, but have become “a very strong community” and remain “resolute… in their convictions and integrity”. One mother told the campaign that “it would be an honour for anyone to be in her daughter’s position”.
The representative told openDemocracy that “the British state ensured that the process itself was the punishment”, adding that the defendants have already spent many months in prison.
The four activists are part of a group known as the Filton 24, named after Elbit UK’s Filton site, near Bristol, where they protested. Of the 24 people charged over the August 2024 action, six were initially tried and acquitted of aggravated burglary in February this year. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the criminal damage charges – leading to the current retrial, in which two of the six activists were found not guilty. Prosecutors have since dropped the aggravated burglary charge against the remaining 18.
During the retrial, the defendants were barred from explaining the wider political context of their action. According to the Guardian , they could not discuss their opposition to Elbit, the war in Gaza or their stated intention to prevent harm. Outside the court, supporters holding placards about jury rights were arrested .
The case sits uneasily within the wider legal…
Read the full article at openDemocracy →📄Source document: High Court ruling on Palestine Action ban→14 reports
Middle East EyeIndependentCenter2 days agoRights advocates and campaigners have expressed concerns over a recent Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the ban on the group Palestine Action, arguing that the decision could lead to a 'slide into authoritarianism.' The court rejected a previous High Court ruling that had found the ban unlawful, citing issues such as potential breaches of policy and disproportionate application. The High Court had argued that the ban could have a chilling effect on free speech and assembly, but the Court of Appeal disagreed.
Bias read (Center): The article presents arguments from both sides without overtly favoring one perspective. It reports on legal rulings and includes warnings from rights advocates while also detailing the court's reasoning. There is no clear ideological slant in the language or emphasis.
The IndependentIndependentCenter6 days agoMore than 100 people were arrested in London for allegedly supporting the banned group Palestine Action. The Court of Appeal upheld the government's decision to classify the group as a terrorist organization, overturning a previous High Court ruling that had deemed the ban unlawful. Protesters included individuals carrying signs expressing their support for Palestine Action.
Bias read (Center): The article presents both sides of the legal dispute without overtly favoring either the government or the protesters. It includes details about the arrests, the court rulings, and quotes from the police without apparent bias. The framing remains neutral, focusing on factual reporting rather than op
Official sources cited
- government Met Police spokesperson statement
Daily MirrorParty-alignedCenter6 days agoMore than 100 individuals were arrested during a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where judges upheld the ban on the organization Palestine Action as a terrorist group. The Court of Appeal ruled that the ban, imposed in July 2025, was lawful and a justified restriction on freedom of expression. This overturned an earlier High Court ruling that had found the ban unlawful. The arrest followed protests where demonstrators expressed support for Palestine Action.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It reports on legal rulings and police actions neutrally, providing details from both the judicial process and the protest event. There is no clear emphasis on one side over another, and the framing is un
Official sources cited
- court Court of Appeal Ruling
- court High Court Ruling
Daily MailIndependentCenter6 days agoThe UK Home Office has been granted permission to ban the organization Palestine Action after five appeal court judges ruled that the group 'overtly promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism.' The ban, which was initially imposed in July 2023, makes membership or support for the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The ruling overturned a previous High Court decision that had found the initial proscription unlawful. The judges emphasized that the decision struck a fair balance between freedom of expression and national security. The case may still be takento
Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual summary of the legal proceedings without apparent ideological framing. It reports on judicial decisions and quotes officials neutrally, avoiding loaded language or one-sided emphasis.
Official sources cited
- court Judgment by the Appeal Court
- government Home Office Statement
Middle East EyeIndependentCenter6 days ago UK Court of Appeal rules Palestine Action ban to be lawfulThe UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the government's ban on the direct action group Palestine Action is lawful, overturning a previous High Court decision that deemed the ban unlawful and discriminatory. The High Court had argued that the ban violated the European Convention on Human Rights by infringing on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The government plans to continue appealing the decision.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the legal proceedings and decisions from both the High Court and the Court of Appeal without overtly favoring either side. It includes quotes from both the government and the court rulings, providing a balanced view of the situation without using biased language or selective omm
Official sources cited
- court High Court ruling on Palestine Action ban
- government UK Government statement on appeal
The Guardian (UK)IndependentCenter6 days agoThe UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the ban on the activist group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws was lawful, overturning a previous high court decision that found the ban unlawful. The ruling comes after the group was proscribed in July 2023, leading to over 3,000 arrests related to protests supporting the organization. The court's decision is expected to provide relief to the UK government, which faced criticism over the ban.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the legal ruling without overtly favoring either side. It reports the court's decision, the context of the ban, and the public response neutrally, avoiding loaded language or one-sided sourcing. The framing remains balanced, focusing on the legal process and outcomes rather than
Novara MediaIndependentLeft6 days agoFour members of the group Palestine Action were sentenced to a combined 27 years in prison for damaging property at an Israeli weapons manufacturer's facility in Bristol. The court classified the act as terrorism, marking the first time in British history such a classification has been applied to property damage. The article questions this labeling, citing interviews with the defendants and their families, suggesting that the characterization of these individuals as 'terrorists' is unjustified.
Bias read (Left): The article frames the prosecution of the Palestine Action activists as an overreach, using terms like 'deranged' to describe the judicial process and questioning the legitimacy of labeling non-violent property damage as terrorism. The tone is critical of the legal system's application of the term '
Middle East EyeIndependentCenter7 days ago Pro-Palestine protesters arrested under counter-terrorism laws at London rallyMore than 100 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested outside Woolwich Crown Court in London during the sentencing of four activists linked to Palestine Action. The demonstration included a sit-in with approximately 200 participants, who held signs such as 'Saving lives is not terrorism' and 'I support Palestine Action.' Police stated that arrests were conducted under counter-terrorism laws related to supporting a proscribed organization. This occurred amid ongoing legal debates regarding the group's status following a UK High Court ruling in February 2026 that deemed the proscription of Palest
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly biased language or selective sourcing. It reports on the arrests, the protesters' actions, and the legal context surrounding Palestine Action without taking a clear stance on the legality or morality of the protests or the counter-terrorism措施.
Official sources cited
- court UK High Court ruling on Palestine Action proscription
BBC News (UK)State / PublicCenter8 days agoPalestine Action activists were jailed following a raid on a factory, with their convictions for criminal damage being classified as terrorism for the first time.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a factual summary of legal proceedings without overtly favoring any side. It does not include commentary, framing, or sourcing that would indicate a clear ideological lean.
Novara MediaIndependentRight9 days ago Palestine Action Activists Sentenced As TerroristsFour members of the group Palestine Action have been found guilty of criminal damage and will be sentenced for an 'act of terrorism' after breaking into a factory owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit in Filton, near Bristol, in 2024. The activists targeted the facility to protest against British complicity in Israeli war crimes. The judge noted that their actions were part of a broader strategy to shut down Elbit and pressure the government.
Bias read (Right): The article frames the activists' actions as 'terrorism' and emphasizes the legal consequences under existing legislation, aligning with the government's position. It does not provide significant counter-narratives or contextualize the activists' motivations beyond the court's interpretation. The ph
Official sources cited
- court Justice Jeremy Johnson's ruling
The IndependentIndependentCenter9 days ago Palestine Action activists jailed for £1.2m factory ‘terror’ raid after dozens arrested at protestFour Palestine Action activists were jailed on Friday following a protest involving the arrest of dozens of people.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on legal consequences for activism without overtly favoring any side. It does not include explicit biased language, one-sided sourcing, or omissions that would indicate a clear ideological lean.
The IndependentIndependentRight9 days ago 72 people arrested at protest outside Palestine Action activists’ sentencingSeventy-two individuals were arrested during a protest outside the sentencing of Palestine Action activists. The Metropolitan Police stated that those arrested were doing so in support of a proscribed terrorist organization.
Bias read (Right): The article uses the term 'proscribed terror group' without providing additional context or explanation, which could imply a specific ideological stance against the group. The framing suggests alignment with official designations without critical examination.
Official sources cited
- government Metropolitan Police Statement
Daily MirrorParty-alignedCenter9 days ago Over 100 supporters arrested outside court as Palestine Action activists sentencedOver 100 supporters were arrested by the Metropolitan Police during a protest outside Woolwich Crown Court, where approximately 500 people had gathered to support Palestine Action activists who were being sentenced.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on an event without overtly favoring any side. It provides factual information about the number of arrests and the location of the protest but does not include commentary, framing, or sourcing that indicates a clear ideological slant.
Official sources cited
- government Metropolitan Police
openDemocracyIndependentLeft11 days agoFour members of the Palestine Action group were sentenced for breaking into a UK-based Israeli arms manufacturer's facility and damaging equipment, including drones. Their supporters argue that the actions were acts of resistance rather than terrorism, and the ruling has been described as a significant escalation in the UK's approach to Palestine solidarity activism.
Bias read (Left): The article frames the activists' actions as 'acts of resistance' and highlights the potential escalation in the UK's crackdown on Palestine solidarity movements. It emphasizes the destruction of Israeli military technology and presents the activists' perspective without counterbalancing arguments,
Official sources cited
- organisation Filton 25 Defence Committee Statement
United Kingdom