Photo by Benjamin Cremel / Alamy
Several government ministers, including the Prime Minister himself, have made a number of public statements misrepresenting the facts of the case in an attempt to justify the proscription of Palestine Action and protect their working relationship with Elbit Systems. Throughout the media there have been countless references to the Filton24 as if they are already guilty. These claims, made public by ministers, are thoroughly in contempt of court and have prejudiced the case.
The Filton24 case is a series of trials of historic proportions, which has the power to shame the Labour Party’s fascistic governance of dissent and expose the relationship between Westminster and the Zionist entity.
According to documents received under the Freedom of Information Act, the following instances are of note:
02. 2020. Then-Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met with Israel’s then-Minister of Strategic Affairs Orit Farkash-Hacohen and discussed Palestine Action. Dominic Raab assured the Israeli officials that the UK was committed to stopping incidents of direct action.
03. 2022. Then-Home Secretary Priti Patel met with Elbit Systems to “discuss protests and security”. This Freedom of Information disclosure outlines that one of the meeting objectives was to “Reassure Martin Fausset [Elbit Systems UK CEO] that the criminal protest acts against Elbit Systems UK are taken seriously by the Government.” The outline continues with two “key points to raise: Palestine Action’s criminal activity is for the police to investigate and though they are operationally independent of Government meaning we cannot direct their response, my officials have been in contact with the police about PA. The Government is working, where appropriate, to ensure that those who engage in criminal activity progress through the Criminal Justice System.”
05. 2022. A meeting between Attorney General’s Office Director Douglas Wilson (who is still in office) and the Israeli Embassy took place. In this meeting, the discussion covered the Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 and most specifically, which department of the UK state has the power to intervene in the active cases related to Palestine Action. In a follow-up e-mail to the Israeli Embassy, Wilson wrote: “The Law Officers are unable to intervene on an individual case or comment on issues related to active proceedings other than in a small subsection of cases where they have a role defined in legislation. We have confirmed that the Home Office is already aware of the matter in question, but we are flagging our discussion to colleagues there to make them aware of your representations and the gravity of the situation.” During the 2022 Kingsway 5 case, Elbit System contracted a trainee barrister to attend each day of trial to take notes of proceedings for Elbit (this became commonplace in Palestine Action trials). Shortly after the jury was sworn in to the trial, proceedings were halted as the notetaker, on behalf of Elbit, had contacted the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to dispute their agreement to the ‘agreed facts’ of the case. They instructed the CPS to engage newer ‘agreed facts’ which do not include mention of the role of Elbit weaponry in Gaza. The defence solicitors were, apparently by accident, CC’d into this email – and shortly afterwards the Court was emptied so that the trainee lawyer notetaker could sign a paper declaring that she may knowingly be perverting the course of justice. After this, the CPS proceeded to disagree with the previously agreed facts.
19. 04. 2023. A Freedom of information request reveals then-Policing Minister Chris Philp met with: two representatives of Elbit Systems, Chief Constable Chris Noble, Staffordshire Police; Kelby Halmes, Director of the Attorney General’s Office; Representative/s of National Police Coordination Centre; Representative/s of the Home Office; Representative/s of Thales (French weapons manufacturer, an Elbit partner). The listed objective of the meeting was to “Reassure Elbit Systems UK and the wider sector affected by Palestine Action that the Government cares about the harm the group are causing the private sector”. Documentation also stated that: “Although there have been successful prosecutions of Palestine Action members, there have been multiple instances of charges being dropped and defendants acquitted by juries and magistrates… A Director from the Attorney General’s Office will be attending to represent the CPS. The CPS declined to participate in this meeting to preserve their operational independence…” and “Palestine Action does not meet the threshold for proscription as they do not commit, participate in, prepare for, promote, encourage, or otherwise be concerned with acts of terrorism.” suggesting that private sector parties were already pushing for proscription.
28. 04.2023 In a separate meeting Christ Philp met with Leicestershire Police and the Home Office. A police report seen by Declassified provides key details of what was discussed. “17:00 Brief Policing Minister and Home Office Team”, the file notes. “Real push to support company legitimate business. Suggest proactive work with Meta Facebook and Instagram”. The document continues: “Pushes for remand of those arrested and supports proactive action, show of police and clear[ly] expects us to be taking action against those that commit crime. Focus not on peaceful protestors and facilitating that but on the company”. In other words, the Home Office was apparently instructing the police to prioritise the company and remand activists rather than facilitate freedom of assembly and expression, liberties enshrined in the Human Rights Act.
https://www.declassifieduk.org/labour-held-secret-meeting-with-top-israeli-arms-firm/
15.07.2023 A meeting between Lord Dominic Johnson and Elbit Systems was held “To discuss Elbit Systems business plans in the UK.” The document also states: “I would like to welcome the growth of Elbit here in the UK and congratulate you especially on your new facility you have just opened in Bristol yesterday (13 July). Please tell me about your UK growth strategy and what I can do to help?.” The new facility mentioned is the Filton site. The document continues with “UK and Israeli Foreign Minister signed an agreement, 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israeli Bilateral Relations, on 21 March boosting economic, security and technology ties. This builds on the MOU signed in November 2021.”
06.08.2024 Arrest of the first six defendants at the Filton Elbit Systems site after disrupting the Zionist war machine.
18.08.24 Article in Jerusalem Post by Michael Starr entitled ‘UK must designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation to curb violence’.“Classifying the offences of the August 6 attackers as having a ‘terrorist connection’ to foster harsher sentencing and potentially label them as terrorists if convicted is a first step to addressing the violence of Palestine Action. However, only by proscribing the organisation as a terrorist group will Palestine Action be fully deterred. This will allow the law to discourage it by indicting the organisation with severe charges or by putting its members behind bars, where they will no longer be a threat to society.”
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-815223
09.09.2024 A Freedom of Information request revealed an email from Nicky Smith (AGO Head of International Law and National Security) to the Israeli embassy entitled “Contacts CPS/SO15”. SO15 are counter terrorism command. Why were the contacts of British police and the Crown Prosecution Service, which is meant to be independent, being handed out to a foreign state (namely the Israeli embassy)?
07.11.2024 Home Office sources brief the Jerusalem Post that the Home Office is considering banning Palestine Action
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-827997
12.2024 Three Home Office officials have a meeting with 3 Elbit Systems representatives
https://www.declassifieduk.org/labour-held-secret-meeting-with-top-israeli-arms-firm
07.03.2025 Proscription Assessment of Palestine Action by the Government’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (“JTAC”). It is clear from this report that the prosecution’s contention in the Filton Case that the offences had a terrorist connection was a key factor in JTAC’s assessment that PA commits or participates in acts of terrorism, despite no one in the Filton case having even a trial yet.
30.06.2025 The proscription of Palestine Action is passed into law. Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wrote an Explanatory Memorandum (“EM”) about the proscription of Palestine Action. In this EM she stated “The UK Government assesses that PA commits and participates in acts of terrorism. In several attacks, PA has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government. These include attacks at Thales in Glasgow in 2022, and in 2024 at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol.” Therefore Yvette Cooper accused the Filton 24 of being terrorists when the defendants were, and still are, awaiting trial, which is contempt of court and an attempt to prejudice the public.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348273373/pdfs/ukdsiem_9780348273373_en_001.pdf
08.2025 Former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, along with other members of the Labour Party, were repeatedly reported to have said that the public did not know “the full nature” of Palestine Action that let to its prescription as a terrorist organisation, thus implying the existence of secret material further implicating the group in terrorism. This was reported across various media outlets, culminating in a lengthy article Yvette Cooper herself wrote in the Observer 17th August 2025. It contains the following passages. “Some may think it is just a regular protest group known for occasional stunts. But that is not the extent of its past activities. Nor does it reflect disturbing information given to me that covered ideas and planning for future attacks. Many of those important details cannot yet be publicly reported because of criminal proceedings…..Charges that include, in the assessment of the CPS, a terrorism connection.” This is in direct violation of the press embargo and the article is still available today to read online for free. These quotes were then repeated multiple times on the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0yyvj7jmmo
This content is not an expression of support, nor does it invite support, for a proscribed organisation.