Palestine Action defendants charges dropped

Eighteen defendants from Palestine Action have now been acquitted of aggravated burglary. Earlier this month, a jury cleared six of the Filton24 of aggravated burglary, while leaving the charges of criminal damage and violent disorder undecided. These charges are in relation to direct-action taken targeting Israeli arms company, Elbit Systems in Bristol.

Middle East Eye reported that:

Following the decision to drop the charges, five of the defendants  – William Plastow, Ian Sanders, Madeline Norman, Julia Brigadirova and Aleksandra Herbich – were granted conditional bail.

Plastow, Sanders and Norman have been held on remand for the longest period of the 18- spending 18 months in prison. Birgadirova and Herbich has been imprisoned since November 2024.

Bail applications for another eight defendants will be held on Friday.

Advertisement

Palestine Action targeting

Today’s announcement comes as the prosecution have “reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence”. This move appears to suggest it would be unlikely to achieve the guilty verdicts it is clearly aiming for. However, at this late a stage in a criminal case, the prosecution could not just drop the aggravated burglary charge against the remaining defendants. This left it no option but to concede defeat on that charge if it wished to change course.

Consequently, concerns have resurfaced that the prosecution and government could reconsider their strategy and pursue different charges with a stronger likelihood of conviction.

Victory: for now

The Palestine Action defendants have received popular support amongst pro-Palestinian activists and groups. In fact, many pensioners across the country have been seen risking arrest for daring to show public support for then proscribed Palestine Action (PA). The direct-action group has protested against Israel’s settler colonialism for many years, and its members have long sought to call attention to those arming the Zionist entity. The case against them refers to a break-in near Bristol of an Elbit Systems site known to be providing arms and supplies to Israel.

Citizens across the UK have taken to protests in every city since October 7th, 2023, making it clear that the majority of British people do not support the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Moreover, leading Holocaust scholars across the globe and the International Court of Justice in The Hague have identified this as a genocide, while the International Criminal Court has moved forward with arrest warrants at the direction of Prosecutor Karim Khan.

We wrote a few days ago on the court ruling that the proscription of Palestine Action, brought because of their acts of protest, was deemed disproportionate. Yet little has really changed, as Skwawkbox wrote:

The decision was made by a panel of judges who all have strong links to Israel, underscoring just how far the Starmer regime overstepped human rights legislation. It is almost certain to try to appeal, despite the exposed web of lies it created to try to justify the ban.

Nevertheless, people are rightfully celebrating this reprieve across social media:

Returning home to their loved ones

Some defendants have since been granted bail following being declared ‘not guilty’ of the original charge of aggravated burglary. This represents a huge relief for the defendants given they will now be able to return home to their loved ones. Nevertheless, some still remain on remand awaiting trial, signaling that not much has changed regarding our government’s intentions.

As Investigative journalist Asa Winstanley reported on X:

Although we at the Canary recognise this as a significant victory, it should not be mistaken for a safeguard against future action by the UK government or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

It is clear that accepting defeat on this charge will leave a bitter taste for the Starmer government. Their premiership is already facing serious scrutiny over its significant levels of funding from the Israel lobby. This announcement today raises legitimate concerns that the prosecution may return with renewed determination, pursuing alternative charges it believes are more likely to secure convictions.

The broader fear we must acknowledge is that this effort is not merely about this case, but about setting a precedent – using the Filton 24 as a warning to deter dissent and protest in support of Palestinians.

As Richard Sanders pointed out on X, the British Government have no love lost for these defendants. Something they made clear recently during the defendants’ principled hunger strikes:

We must stay vigil

We reported on Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori’s comments on the CPS’ case against the six acquitted by jury. Skwawkbox wrote:

This case from the start has been heavily politicised.

The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.

This is political theatre.

Sadly, we believe today’s victory may prove similarly short-lived. The actors are currently off-stage changing their outfits and rehearsing their lines. But we must not forget, political theatre is still heavily permeating through this oppressive criminal case against the Palestine Action defendants.

We must stay vigilant and ready for whatever may follow this temporary reprieve.

Featured image via the Canary