Four Palestine Action activists have been found guilty of criminal damage at a site owned by Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems – while two others have been acquitted of the same charge.

Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio and Fatema Rajwani – all aged between 21 and 30 – took part in a raid at the facility near Bristol in August 2024. Palestine Action’s stated goal is to disrupt the supply of weapons used in the genocide in Gaza.

Another two activists, Zoe Rogers, 22, and Jordan Devlin, 31, were cleared of criminal damage charges by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday.​

Corner was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) without intent. Prosecutors had accused him of GBH with intent after he hit a police officer with a sledgehammer during the raid, but the jury cleared him of the more serious charge.

The convicted activists smashed into a security perimeter at the site with a van before destroying property inside with tools, the court previously heard.

“Inside the warehouse, they set about destroying as much property as they could,” prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court. “They used crowbars and hammers to damage computers, equipment, drones and other products Elbit had manufactured.”

Representing herself, Rogers told the court in her closing speech: “I am so proud that I took part in this. I am proud that I overcame my fear and took action. Because of course I was scared. You don’t just break into an Israeli weapons factory for fun.”

She added: “I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best thing I have ever done, because there is a good chance that because of our actions that night, innocent lives were saved.”

Head, Corner, Kamio and Rajwani have all been remanded to prison ahead of their sentencing. All defendants have already served 18 months in prison, apart from Corner who has served 21 months.

Joshua Carroll is a writer and journalist.

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