The Filton 4
Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone stands in solidarity with Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani who were sentenced to a combined total of over 25 years in prison on Friday, for their action which saw 40 drones destroyed at Elbit Systems key site in Filton, Bristol.
This is an unprecedented ruling. It is the first time in Britain that anyone has faced “terrorism” enhancements at sentencing without being convicted of terrorist offenses during the trial. Throughout the case, the British government has done everything it can to ensure the harshest possible punishment was awarded to these brave activists. In doing so, they have made a mockery of the “right to a fair trial”, which we have always been told is one of the cornerstones of our “democracy”.
The media were prohibited from reporting that the defendants had been barred by the judge from speaking about their reasons for carrying out the action, and from providing any information about the genocide in Gaza or Elbit’s connection to it. Further, it was hidden from the jurors that in finding the activists guilty of criminal damage, they would open them up to terror enhancements at sentencing.
The vast majority of people in this country would not consider the destruction of the private property of an arms manufacturer, which caused no distress or danger to members of the public, as anything close to something that we might call “terrorism”.
The government knows this. The government knows too that the British public are aghast and horrified at what Israel is doing in Palestine. They know that the British public do not want their government to support Israel’s actions in any way and that at the very least, we should “stay out of it”.
The government knows that if the public were aware of just how deeply intertwined the British state is with Israel, and how much it supports the genocide, that there would be outrage. That if the British public started asking why our government – our civilized, human rights centred, democratic government – supports the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, a thread would be pulled which could end in its collapse.
So they have to stop us asking why. This is what a “terrorism” charge is. It is the government doing all it can to stop us pulling that thread. It is a black mark against anyone defending these activists. Most people do not have time to look into these charges. The charge of “terrorism” convinces someone who might otherwise be supportive of the intentions of these activists – i.e. stopping a genocide – to not look any further.
And it acts as a threat to those of us who do look further. It is the government demonstrating its power. There is no clear definition of “terrorism” which these activists have crossed, and this is the point. The government can decide to charge us with “terrorism” whenever it chooses to.
This is not a mistake by a biased incompetent judge, or a corrupt labour party. This is not a flaw or “failure” in our justice system. This is exactly how the justice system is supposed to work. To defend the interests of those in power and the systems that keep them there.
To our government, “terrorism” is that which threatens their interests. The British government does not care about the “terror” suffered by normal working people. If “terrorism” meant anything, the “terrorists” in this country would be the ones keeping lists and setting houses on fire in Belfast, or those marching on hotels, hurling abuse at families looking down in fear through windows. Those are the people spreading terror in our communities.
Everybody knows this. Nobody truly believes these four activists are “terrorists”. But the British State will still lock them up for 25 years.
This won’t change by voting in a better party. We cannot simply ask and hope for our politicians to do better. The only way we can change this is by building and organising together, by talking to and learning from each other. By involving everyone in this organising – not just those of us already organising, but by bringing in others who are scared and horrified at the direction our country is going. By organising in ways which force the politicians and judges to listen and act on behalf of ordinary, working people of this country.
Until then there will be no justice. No justice for Palestine, no justice for the Filton four and no justice for any of us.
Bristol Apartheid Free-Zone stands with Charlotte, Sam, Leona and Fatema Zainab – donate to their support fund here.
Free Palestine.
Further reading on the sentencing and trial:
https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-how-britain-weaponised-terrorism-laws-against-activists/
https://www.declassifieduk.org/palestine-action-activists-will-be-sentenced-as-terrorists/
https://novaramedia.com/2026/06/05/palestine-action-defendants-apply-to-remove-biased-judge/