72 arrested at London protest backing Palestine Action activists

Metropolitan Police arrested 72 demonstrators outside Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday after hundreds gathered to support four Palestine Action activists facing sentencing for their role in a raid on an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol. The arrests included elderly protesters aged between 80 and 90 who were silently holding placards reading "Saving lives is not terrorism."

One bystander was heard shouting "She's frail ... can you let her go? ... just from holding up a placard!" as officers detained an elderly woman. Around 200 demonstrators had staged a sit-in protest outside the court while others carried signs expressing support for the proscribed organization.

Terrorism designation controversy

The protest coincided with the sentencing hearing of Samuel Corner, 23, Charlotte Head, 30, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21 — known as the Filton 4 — who were convicted of criminal damage following a retrial last month. Prosecutors said the group used a prison van as a "battering ram" to enter the Bristol site on August 6, 2024, before spraying red paint and using crowbars to damage equipment, causing an estimated £1 million in damage.

Although the four were acquitted of aggravated burglary, Justice Johnson ruled the action had a "terrorism connection," a finding that could result in more severe sentences. Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, criticized the ruling, saying: "Today's sentencing hearing risks marking a new low in the ongoing crackdown against protest across the UK."

"Criminal damage has never been treated as terrorism within the UK justice system before, and it is completely disproportionate to do so because the offense occurred at a protest," she added, warning that terrorism sentences carry restrictions that stay with a person for life.

Police defend enforcement

Defending the arrests, the Metropolitan Police stated: "We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date. We must do that consistently and without fear or favour." The force noted that expressing support for Palestine Action remains a criminal offense while the proscription remains in force, despite a High Court ruling earlier this year that found the ban unlawful.

Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military manufacturer, operates several offices and production facilities across Britain, producing communication systems, surveillance technologies, and unmanned aerial and ground vehicles for military use.