UK Judge Dismisses Jury in Palestine Action Trial Over Elbit Factory Raid
A judge at London's Old Bailey court dismissed the jury in the trial of eight activists linked to the banned Palestine Action group, after the jury convicted on only one of 15 charges. The defendants faced allegations of aiding and planning a raid on an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, Bristol, a hub of the UK aerospace industry. On August 6, 2024, activists used a ram vehicle to break into the factory, destroying around 40 Israeli weapons, including quadcopter drones, causing an estimated £1.2 million in damage. Although the eight defendants were not present during the raid, they were accused of supporting the operation through planning, reconnaissance, equipment lists, and coordination. Some had already spent up to 18 months in pre-trial detention.
After more than 37 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a single conviction for "criminal damage" against one unnamed defendant, with no verdict on the other 14 charges. Judge Patrick Field ordered the jury to be discharged, and the prosecution is considering a retrial, with a preliminary hearing set for September 14. Four activists who were at the scene during the raid were previously convicted and sentenced in June 2026, with terrorism-related charges applied.
Palestine Action was designated a terrorist organization in the UK in July 2025 following a June 2025 attack on RAF Brize Norton, where activists caused significant damage to refueling aircraft. The UK High Court initially ruled the ban unlawful in February 2026, but the Court of Appeal reversed that decision in June 2026. Since the ban, thousands have been arrested in the UK for alleged support of the group.
Separately, British Jewish anti-Zionist activist Tony Greenstein was acquitted last Friday of charges for encouraging support of Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attacks. The trial featured tense exchanges between Greenstein and the judge, with the jury ultimately clearing him after two hours of deliberation. Greenstein had previously been convicted of criminal damage related to a Palestine Action protest at another Elbit factory in 2023, before the group was outlawed as a terrorist organization.
