107 Palestine Action Supporters Arrested Outside London Court

(MENAFN) Metropolitan Police officers arrested 107 people Friday outside Woolwich Crown Court in a sweeping crackdown on demonstrators who had gathered to show solidarity with Palestine Action — a group that remains legally proscribed despite a High Court ruling earlier this year declaring the ban unlawful.

Of those detained, 72 were taken into custody solely for expressing public support for the organization.

The mass arrests unfolded as hundreds converged on the court during the sentencing hearing of four activists — Samuel Corner, 23; Charlotte Head, 30; Leona Kamio, 30; and Fatema Rajwani, 21 — collectively known as the Filton 4. The group was convicted of criminal damage following a retrial last month for their roles in an August 6, 2024, raid on an Elbit Systems facility in Bristol.

Approximately 200 protesters staged a sit-in outside the courthouse, many raising placards that read: "Saving lives is not terrorism … I support Palestine Action."

At around 1:20 p.m. local time, officers physically carried a middle-aged man — placard in hand — into a waiting police van. Among those detained were several elderly demonstrators, some aged between 80 and 90, arrested for silently holding signs. A bystander was overheard pleading with officers as an elderly woman was taken away.

"She's frail ... can you let her go? ... just from holding up a placard!" the person shouted.

The Metropolitan Police defended its actions, stating: "We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date. We must do that consistently and without fear or favour."

£1 Million in Damage — and a Terrorism Label
Prosecutors told the court that the Filton 4 used a prison van as a "battering ram" to breach the Elbit Systems site before deploying fire extinguishers filled with red paint and wielding crowbars and sledgehammers to destroy computers, drones, and other equipment — causing an estimated £1 million ($1.34 million) in damage.

Though the defendants were acquitted of aggravated burglary in an earlier trial, Justice Jeremy Johnson ruled that the Bristol action carried a "terrorist connection" — a designation that could significantly increase the severity of their sentences. The Court of Appeal is scheduled to rule Monday on whether that finding will stand.

Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military manufacturer, maintains multiple offices and production sites across Britain and internationally. Its portfolio spans communication systems, surveillance technologies, and both unmanned aerial and ground vehicles.

Civil Liberties Groups Sound the Alarm
Human rights organizations swiftly condemned the application of terrorism legislation in the case, warning of far-reaching consequences for the right to protest.

Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said: "Today's sentencing hearing risks marking a new low in the ongoing crackdown against protests across the UK. Criminal damage has never been treated as terrorism within the UK justice system before, and it is completely disproportionate to do so because the offense occurred at a protest."

She further cautioned: "A terrorism sentence carries restrictions that stay with a person for the rest of their life. We should all be worried about what this means for other individuals taking direct action in protest at a genocide or any other issue. After all, the right to protest is one of the most effective tools we have to hold our leaders to account."

Moscogiuri concluded: "The use of terrorism laws to suppress direct action protesters sets a dangerous precedent for our fundamental rights in this country and must come to an end."

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