Four Palestine Action activists jailed for attacking Israeli firm's UK base

Four activists with the now-banned Palestine Action group have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from approximately five to eight years in London. The sentences stem from a violent attack on the Bristol headquarters of the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in August 2024. The group, deemed illegal in the United Kingdom, targeted the company's facilities, causing significant damage and injuring a police officer.

During the August 6, 2024, protest, activist Samuel Corner struck a police officer twice with a hammer, causing a spinal fracture. Corner received the longest sentence of seven years and eight months. Charlotte Head and Leona Kamio were each sentenced to five years, while Fatema Rajwani received four years and eight months for their roles in the incident. The judge noted the activists acted out of frustration with the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, believing it was committing genocide.

The attack in Bristol, along with a similar action at a British military airbase months later, prompted the UK government to ban Palestine Action in July 2025, classifying it as a terrorist organization. This ban criminalizes public support for the group under the UK's Terrorism Act, leading to numerous arrests. Despite the ban, the High Court of England and Wales ruled in February that the prohibition was unlawful, pending a final decision from the Court of Appeal.

On the day of the sentencing, Metropolitan Police arrested at least 100 individuals outside the court for showing support for Palestine Action during a demonstration backing the defendants. The case highlights the ongoing tensions and legal battles surrounding pro-Palestinian activism in the UK.

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The activists had decided to 'take justice into their own hands' because, in their view, the Israeli government is committing genocide in Gaza and they were 'disillusioned' with the limited efforts being made to prevent it.