Palestine Action activists face inconclusive trial and sentencing rulings

A jury at the Old Bailey has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict on charges against seven Palestine Action activists. The defendants were accused of organizing an August 2024 action at the Elbit Systems weapons factory in Filton, near Bristol. The charges included criminal damage and, for most, violent disorder. The prosecution argued the group facilitated the action through reconnaissance and equipment procurement, while the defense maintained that association with the group does not establish criminal liability.

In a separate matter involving the same activist group, a judge ruled that five individuals, known as the ‘Barclays five’, will not be sentenced as terrorists. The group was found guilty in June of causing over £200,000 in damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in protest of the bank’s shares in Elbit Systems. Although the judge initially intended to consider a ‘terrorist connection’ due to new information, the sentencing will not proceed under those terms.