In the early hours of August 6, 2024, a meticulously planned attack unfolded at the Elbit Systems UK factory in Patchway, Bristol, shaking the quiet industrial estate and drawing national attention to the actions and motivations of the activist group Palestine Action. According to multiple reports from BBC, Daily Mail, and other outlets, the incident was not a spontaneous protest but a coordinated operation involving teams, weaponry, and a clear objective: to inflict maximum damage and disruption on the Israeli-linked defense manufacturer.
The prosecution, led by Deanna Heer KC at Woolwich Crown Court, described the operation as a "step-by-step plan of action devised and agreed upon" by willing participants. The group of six defendants—Charlotte Head, 29; Samuel Corner, 23; Leona Kamio, 30; Fatema Rajwani, 21; Zoe Rogers, 22; and Jordan Devlin, 31—were all identified as members of the so-called "red team." Their role, according to the prosecution, was to break into Elbit's premises and "cause as much damage as possible and obtain information about the company."
The plan was as dramatic as it was destructive. At around 3:30am, security guard Nigel Shaw, who had been brought in as extra cover after a hole in the perimeter fence was discovered, witnessed a white prison van crashing through the fence and into the yard. CCTV footage, as relayed in court, captured a dozen members of a separate "black team" following the van on foot, shouting "Free Palestine". The black team’s task was to overwhelm security guards using whips, axes, metal skewers, paintball guns, smoke grenades, flares, and fireworks—an arsenal more reminiscent of a riot than a protest. The red team, meanwhile, drove the van through the loading bay door, using it as a battering ram to gain access to the warehouse.
Once inside, chaos erupted. The activists, clad in red jumpsuits and each armed with a sledgehammer, set about destroying computer equipment, boxes of technical products, security systems, and even the fabric of the building itself—including the disabled toilet. Fire extinguishers filled with red paint were sprayed across walls and floors, while crowbars, hammers, and whips were used to intimidate and assault security personnel. According to BBC, security guard Angelo Volante was whipped and threatened with a saw, while Shaw was attacked with fireworks and sustained a 4cm laceration to his head, abrasions, and dental injuries.
As the violence escalated, the arrival of police did little to quell the mayhem. Prosecutors allege that when police sergeant Kate Evans entered the scene, she was struck twice on the back by Samuel Corner wielding a sledgehammer. "Having hit her once, he raised the sledgehammer again and hit her with it a second time," Heer told the jury, as reported by BBC. Evans, protected only by a stab vest, screamed in pain and was unable to get up. She was later found to have a fractured vertebrae and was unable to work for three months, now confined to restricted duties due to ongoing pain and mobility issues.
Photographs and video footage presented in court reinforced the extent of the destruction. "Inside the warehouse, the Red Team set about destroying as much property as they could," Heer explained. The group’s mission statement, discovered by police, was unequivocal: "Shut Elbit Down. This is our primary objective as Palestine Action. We can do that by sticking together and ensuring its destruction with our brains and muscle."
The prosecution made it clear that the violence was not accidental or incidental. "The purpose was to carry out as much damage as possible, and the role of these defendants to smash up as much property as possible and to keep smashing until they were forced to stop," Heer argued. "If that involved threatening the security guards or using force against them, or injuring them with those sledgehammers, then so be it—that is what they intended to do."
The defense, however, has denied all charges. Head, Corner, Kamio, Rajwani, Rogers, and Devlin each pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder. Corner further denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to PS Evans. The trial, which began on November 18, 2025, is expected to last until January 2026.
The context of the trial is fraught with political and social tension. Elbit Systems UK is a subsidiary of an Israeli defense company, and the attack occurred amid heightened scrutiny of the firm’s alleged links to military operations in the Middle East. Outside the courtroom, supporters of the accused gathered with banners reading "Free the Filton 24 Now!" and "Shut Elbit Down," underscoring the activists’ broader campaign against what they describe as the UK’s complicity in international conflict. One protester’s sign, captured in Daily Mail photographs, read: "Elbit boasts their weapons are 'battle tested' on Palestinians."
Yet, as Mr Justice Johnson reminded jurors, the trial is not a referendum on the war in Gaza or Israeli policy. "Many people have strong views about events in the Middle East—some of you might feel that Israel is entitled to do what it has done in Gaza in order to defend itself against Hamas. Others of you may feel that Israel has acted unlawfully, even that it has committed acts of genocide. Everyone is, of course, fully entitled to their views but you as the jury in this case must put any views you have on those matters entirely to one side—they are completely irrelevant to your consideration of the case. Your job is to listen to the evidence and to decide what the evidence shows on those matters you will need to decide."
The evidence, according to prosecutors, paints a picture of a "meticulously organised" attack with a clear intent to disrupt, destroy, and, if necessary, harm. The defense’s arguments and the outcome of the trial will be closely watched, not just for the fate of the defendants, but for what it may signal about the boundaries of protest, the use of force, and the responsibilities of companies and activists alike.
As the trial continues, the community in Bristol—and indeed across the UK—waits for a verdict that may have ramifications far beyond the walls of Woolwich Crown Court.
