A Palestine Action activist gave a defiant cry after being sentenced to six years in prison for criminal damage with a “terrorist connection”, after smashing up an Israeli weapons factory.

Following her sentencing, Charlotte Head, 29, shouted, “In order to hear the birds, the warplanes must be silent”, referencing Palestinian poet Marwan Makhoul.

Supporters of the activists erupted into applause as Head and her fellow activists were ushered out of the Woolwich Crown Court.

Head, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona (Ellie) Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21, were found guilty of criminal damage in May after breaking into a factory in Filton, near Bristol, owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit in 2024. Corner was also convicted of grievous bodily harm without intent. They were sentenced on Friday.

Head was handed a custodial sentence of six years less 45 days and disqualified from driving for four years. Kamio was sentenced to six years less 45 days. Rajwani was sentenced to five years and eight months less 45 days. Corner was sentenced to a combined eight years and eight months for both offences.

At Woolwich Crown Court on Friday Justice Jeremy Johnson said there was an “exceptionally high degree of planning and premeditation” in the case, telling the activists: “You sought to glorify criminality and vigilantism” by livestreaming and filming the raid. The harms caused were “exceptionally high” he said.

The judge found that there was a terrorist connection as the raid was aimed at “shutting down Elbit and ending what they regarded as British complicity in Israeli war crimes” and to “intimidate it into ceasing operations or cause the government to prevent it from operating”.

Throughout the trial the activists had tried to argue that they were motivated by a humanitarian desire to disrupt Israeli military operations. Justice Johnson found the activists’ motivation to be an aggravating factor.

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