Palestine Action activists accused of storming an Israeli defence firm’s UK base have entered not guilty at the Old Bailey, just before a ceasefire in Gaza is due to take effect.
Activists were allegedly armed with sledgehammers and whips when they smashed through the front gates of Elbit Systems base near Patchway, Bristol with a re-purposed prison van, it is said.
The group are accused of causing £1 million of damage in the raid last August, when it is alleged fireworks and flares were let off, a building was smashed into, and equipment was destroyed.
Eighteen people have now been charged over the incident, facing allegations of aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder.
One of the group, Samuel Corner, is accused of attacking two police officers and a security guard with a sledgehammer during the 3.30am raid on August 6 last year.
Ahead of Friday’s hearing, around fifty of the defendant’s supporters staged at protest outside the central London courthouse, calling for “Free Palestine“.
BBC script writer Will-Nyerere Plastow is among the defendants in the criminal case.
Six of the activists accused of storming a defence firm’s HQ in Filton, near Bristol (Palestine Action)
The hearing came ahead of a planned ceasefire in Gaza, which has now been agreed with the Israeli Security Cabinet and is due to come into effect on Sunday.
Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages – including women and children – who have been held since October 6 last year.
In return, Israel has pledged to set free scores of Palestinian prisoners.
In the criminal case in the UK, seventeen of the eighteen defendants appeared on videolinks from prison.
Samuel Corner, 22, Will-Nyerere Plastow, 33, Leona Kamio, 28, , Charlotte Head, 28, Zoe Rogers, 20, Jordan Devlin, 30, Fatama Rajwani, 20, Ian Sanders, 45, and Madeline Norman, 29, all pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated burglary and criminal damage.
Head, Corner, Kamio, Rajwani, Rogers, Devlin, Norman, Sanders, and Plastow also denied violent disorder, and Corner pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Co-defendants Hannah Davidson, 51, Sean Middlebrough, 32, Aleksandra Herbich, 40, Tutea Hoxha, 29, Julija Brigadirova, 32, Huba Muraisi, 30, Qesser Zuhrah, 20, Zahra Farooque, 24, and Kamran Ahmed, 27, are due to enter pleas at a later stage.
They are all charged with aggravated burglary and criminal damage, while all except for Hoxha and Brigadirova also face a charge of violent disorder.
The court heard the allegations against the defendants are likely to be dealt with at three separate trials, with the first set for November 17 at Woolwich crown court.
Middlebrough, of Liverpool, Herbich, of Kensal Rise, north-west London, Zuhrah, of Woolwich, south-east London, Muraisi, of Bloomsbury, central London, Farooque, of Fulham, south-west London, Ahmed, of East Ham, east London, Hoxha, from Beckenham, south-east London, Brigadirova, of Manchester, Corner, of Devon, Devlin, of Stoke Newington, north-east London, Head, of Caerleon, Newport, South Wales, Kamio, of Hackney, east London, Rajwani, of East Mitcham, Merton, south-west London, Rogers, of Enfield, north London, Davidson, of Edinburgh, Sanders, of Leamington Spa, Plastow, of Manchester, and Norman, of Edinburgh, are all remanded in custody.