In August, activists from Palestine Action targeted the Filton facility (near Bristol) of Israel’s global arms company Elbit Systems. Their action is alleged to have caused around a million pounds’ worth of damage to the company, and subsequent arrests and interrogation of ten people were carried out by UK counter-terrorism police.
Later dubbed the #Filton10, none were eventually charged with any terror offences, but have been remanded in prison and refused bail for an extraordinary period of more than a year until a court trial towards the end of next year.
Palestine Action has had a success rate of acquittals of more than 50% so far, with both magistrates and juries returning not guilty or hung verdicts on numerous occasions on hearing the context of how Elbit ‘battle-tests’ its weapon and surveillance systems in Gaza before selling them (often to repressive regimes) around the world. Today, Palestine Action are claiming that the government has dropped its Watchkeeper drone contract with Elbit, worth more than £2billion.
Earlier this week on Tuesday morning, counter-terrorist police carried out further dawn raids, arresting ten individuals alleged to have had some connection to the Filton action.
Last night, an emergency solidarity protest took place outside Hammersmith Police Station where two young people (known as Q and Z) have been held for days under special terrorist powers.
One of the speakers was Sukaina Rajwani, who is the mother of Fatema – one of the original Filton 10 currently on remand.
Amnesty International recently issued a statement raising their concern over the unprecedented use of terrorism legislation which “circumvent normal legal protections”, and charges that are “not commensurate with the facts of a case.”
Reports are emerging that some of the arrestees were arrested at gunpoint, and are being denied sufficient food, kept in solitary confinement and being interrogated through the night.
All of this comes at the same time that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and their Defence Minister over the use of starvation as a weapon, and other war crimes. The UK is continuing to arm Israel and provide logistical support with surveillance flights over Gaza.
Palestine Action maintain that, while our government continues to operate against public and worldwide opinion, their actions are an attempt to enforce international law and halt the flow of arms to a genocidal regime.
Family members of the Filton10 have launched a petition calling for an end to the use of counter-terrorism powers against pro-Palestine activists.
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-use-of-counter-terrorism-powers-against-pro-palestine-activists
UPDATE Sat 23/11/24:
Eight people appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court today and despite the counter-terror raids, NONE were charged with terrorist offences, suggesting these powers were yet again misused.
All were remanded to prison, with charges such as criminal damage, aggravated burglary, and some with ‘violent disorder’. An appeal for bail will be made at Crown Court in due course.
