Six activists accused of breaking into the UK site of Israel-based arms company Elbit Systems last year appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, facing charges related to property damage during a protest against the Israeli military indust

Outside the court, a determined group of around two dozen supporters waved Palestinian flags and held banners, chanting “Free Palestine,” their voices echoing the international call to end Israel’s occupation. Many in the crowd wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves in a show of solidarity.

The defendants – Samuel Corner, Jordan Devlin, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, and Zoe Rogers – are accused of damaging Elbit Systems’ Bristol facility on August 6, 2024, with sledgehammers. Court documents claim the group caused over £1 million in damage. Corner faces an additional charge related to injuring a police officer during the incident.

Witnesses in court described the six as calm and composed, exchanging glances and waves with friends and family in the public gallery. Their actions, supporters argue, were part of a wider movement opposing the global arms trade that fuels violence in Palestine.

Pre-trial administrative proceedings took place on Monday, with jury selection scheduled for later in the day. The trial is expected to last around ten weeks.

Elbit Systems, a multinational defence technology company, has been criticized by human rights advocates for supplying equipment used in Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. (ILKHA)