Nine activists accused of involvement in an armed raid on an Israel-based defence firm’s UK site have appeared in court amid pro-Palestine protests outside the Old Bailey.
Members of Palestine Action armed with sledgehammers and whips allegedly smashed through the front gates of the Elbit Systems base near Patchway, Bristol with a re-purposed prison van on August 6.
It is said £1 million of damage was caused, as activists allegedly let off fireworks and flares, smashed their way into one of the buildings, and set about destroying equipment.
One of the group - Samuel Corner – is accused of attacking two police officers and an Elbit security guard during the 3.30am raid.
Eighteen defendants – including BBC script writer Will-Nyerere Plastow – have now been charged over the incident.
Nine of the group appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday via videolink from prison, while around 50 protesters gathered outside the courthouse.
The protesters were carrying signs declaring “end Zionist Control of the UK Government” and “Advocating for Palestine is not a crime”, while Keir Starmer was branded a “liar” during chanting over loudspeakers.
Nine of the charged defendants - Sean Middlebrough, 32, Aleksandra Herbich, 40, Tutea Hoxha, 28, Julija Brigadirova, 32, Huba Muraisi, 30, Qesser Zuhrah, 19, Zahra Farooque, 24, Will-Nyerere Plastow, 33, and Kamran Ahmed, 27 – appeared for the court hearing on Friday.
They were all remanded back into custody.
Nine others - Samuel Corner, 22, Leona Kamio, 28, Hannah Davidson, 51, Charlotte Head, 28, Zoe Rogers, 20, Jordan Devlin, 30, Fatama Rajwani, 20, Ian Sanders, 45, and Madeline Norman, 29 – have previously appeared in court.
All 18 defendants are due to appear for a hearing on January 17 next year.
They all face charges of aggravated burglary with intent and criminal damage.
Fourteen of the group - all apart from Hoxha, Brigadirova, Sanders, and Plastow - also face a charge of violent disorder.
Corner is also charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a police officer, Sergeant Kate Evans, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on a second police officer, PC Aaron Buxton, and security guard Angelo Volente.
A trial date has been set for November 17 next year, and a further pre-trial hearing is due to take place on April 11.
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, have not yet entered pleas to the charges.
