UK Convicts Palestine Action Activists in Crackdown on Palestine Solidarity

On Tuesday, a London court convicted four of six Palestine Action activists of criminal damage for their break-in of an Elbit Systems factory in August 2024.

The four activists — Samuel Corner, 23, Charlotte Head, 29, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21 — were found guilty of smashing drones and computers at the Israeli defense firm’s U.K. site in an attempt to shut the factory down. Samuel Corner was additionally found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm, without intent, for striking a police officer with a sledgehammer after the activists were attacked by security guards and police. The legal proceedings have lasted some 21 months, with the young activists spending the majority of that time in jail.

Near the end of the trial, the activists dismissed their defense lawyers and delivered their own closing speeches.

In her closing speech, Charlotte Head explained that she joined Palestine Action “after months of campaigning and pleading and asking those in power to stop abetting Israel and housing companies like Elbit,” to no avail, and that Palestine Action “has been trying to end British complicity in war crimes since 2020,” permanently shutting down four Elbit sites through its activism.

Tanzanian-born Fatema Rajwani said in her closing remarks that she had disarmed Elbit’s drones “because they were going to kill children,” and that she was “sick of waiting for the government” to act against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, supplying weapons and surveillance systems to the Israeli military. The company’s drones and bombs have been used extensively in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in Israel’s wars on Lebanon and Iran. According to Elbit System’s own promotional video, the company “plays a central role in strengthening the IDF’s operational edge,” and serves “as a key partner to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.” The video also boasts that Elbit’s drones “dominate the skies over Iran” and provide intelligence throughout the latest US-Israeli war on Iran.

Elbit Systems U.K. is the British arm of the Israeli defense company, with 16 sites in the U.K. that employ over 680 people.

In July 2025, the U.K. government declared Palestine Action to be a terrorist organization. Though a High Court ruling in February 2026 found the original 2025 ban unlawful, it still remains in place as the government appeals this reversal. Since the 2025 ban, over 2,000 people have been arrested in the U.K. for supporting Palestine Action. In April alone, London police arrested over 500 people for demonstrating against the ban on Palestine Action in central London.

In December 2025, activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in London under the U.K. Terrorism Act for demonstrating in support of jailed Palestine Action activists who were holding a hunger strike. Thunberg was arrested while holding a sign that said “I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.”

The ban on Palestine Action has widely been seen as an attack on free speech and Palestine solidarity activism — especially since numerous activists have been arrested simply for holding signs in support of the organization.

But the attacks on Palestine solidarity activism more broadly continue unabated. On May 3, U.K. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reiterated that pro-Palestinian marches should be banned in the U.K., baselessly claiming they are “a cover for antisemitic activity,” while marches organized by far right anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson should be allowed.

The four convicted Palestine Action activists have been returned to custody, and are awaiting their June 12 sentencing date.