Some of the Palestine Action activists from the so-called Filton 18 appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday 17 January over an action at a weapons factory that supplies genocidal Israel. Of course, they entered not guilty to the charges the state was brining against them – and they also received huge support from crowds waiting outside.
The Filton 18: ‘not guilty’ say supporters and the activists
In a hearing at the Old Bailey, nine of the ‘Filton 18’ political prisoners have entered ‘not guilty’ pleas on all charges put before them, while supporters amassed in solidarity outside of the court. They were called to court to plea to charges after an action in August 2024 at the Filton, Bristol site of Israel’s largest weapons company Elbit Systems.
Outside of the hearing, supporters of the Palestine Action activists gathered outside in solidarity:
Palestinian flags were waved:
While people rallied:
Predictably, the Met Police were in attendance:
Supporters waved off members of the Filton 18 as they left the hearing:
All 18 face charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, with some of the 18 additionally facing charges of violent disorder. Six activists were arrested on site for an action that saw them breach the site using a modified van, before dismantling weapons of genocide inside, including ‘quadcopter’ drone models.
12 further people were later arrested and remanded to prison for their alleged involvement. Police have justified their continued detention by alleging that their actions have a ‘terrorism connection’.
The rest of the 18 are expected to enter not guilty pleas later this year.
A spokesperson for Palestine Action said:
We refuse to bow to this continued police intimidation and harassment. It is Elbit, Israel’s largest weapons company, that is the guilty party: those resisting the UK’s complicity in genocide are not.
Palestine Action: outrageous abuse of powers by police and CPS
The activists have been returned to prison by the judge and are currently awaiting appeal hearings for bail which have been thus-far rejected. Of the 18, 10 have spent over five months in prison since August, with an additional eight detained since November.
At the hearing, the judge confirmed that their case shall be seen with the 18 split across three trial dates, the first taking place in November 2025, the second in May 2026 and the final date is currently unknown.
An additional date is yet to be set in March of this year, when the defence will seek to challenge and dismiss the application of a “terror connection” in this case.
Amnesty International has stated that the Filton 18 case demonstrates “terrorism powers being misused” to “circumvent normal legal protections, such as justifying holding people in excessively-lengthy pre-charge detention”.
The #Filton18 political prisoners have been subjected to arbitrary and repressive treatment while inside prison – including the withholding of phone calls and mail, prohibitions on communicating with other prisoners, and denials of religious practices and medical privacy.
Featured image and additional images via Martin Pope
