Protest is not Terrorism

To: Crown Prosecution Service

On 12 June 2026, a British court will seek to attach a “terrorism connection” to the sentencing of four Palestine Action activists, even though they were not charged, tried or convicted under terrorism laws. Three out of the four have only been convicted of criminal damage, and the 18 months they have already spent in custody before trial would in normal circumstances mean they would be unlikely to face any more time in jail.

The “criminal damage” they committed was to dismantle some of the military equipment in a factory owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit, including sniper quadcopter drones whose documented use has contributed to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine. Yet the judge prevented the defence from referring to this fact and concealed plans to impose harsher sentences through reporting restrictions banning the media from even talking about this aspect of the case.

We join colleagues who work in healthcare and law in condemning this gross abuse of judicial power. We demand that the terrorism connection is dropped when the Filton activists are sentenced. We call on the Labour government to end its repressive policies towards direct action and civil disobedience movements which play an essential democratic role in by demanding accountability for war crimes, genocide and climate breakdown. We urge the repeal of Britain’s vaguely worded terrorism laws which have opened the door to this authoritarian move.

Our unions and professional associations must take clear and forceful steps to oppose the use of terrorism powers against conscientious protest, and defend the right of all teachers and education workers to speak and act against genocide and other crimes against humanity.

Signed (in a personal capacity)

Trade union officers

Sunil Banga, Lancaster University, UCU Branch President
Peter Bicknell, Lewisham College, UCU Branch Chair
Mandy Brown, (UCU London Region Chair)
Donna Brown, Royal Holloway University London, UCU National Executive Committee (NEC)
Peta Bulmer, Liverpoool University, UCU NEC
Grant Buttars, University of Edinburgh, UCU NEC
Anastasia Christou, Middlesex University, UCU Chair Equalities
Deepa Driver, Reading University, UCU NEC
Peter Evans, West London College, UCU NEC
Alex Gordon, RMT former President
Norman Hagan, University of Ulster, UCU Branch Chair
Elane Heffernan, Kent University, UCU Equality Officer
Marion Hersh, Glasgow University, UCU NEC
Jill Kennedy-McNeil, Morley College, UCU NEC
Taylor Hill, Dundee University, UCU Women’s Officer
Alyson James, Branch Chair, Westminster Kingsway College, UCU
Dyfrig Jones, Bangor University, UCU President
Lesley Kane, Open University, UCU NEC
Rhiannon Lockley, Branch Chair Birmingham City University, UCU NEC
Joel Maddock-James, York St John University, UCU Branch Secretary
Tania Manyuira, Sandwell College, UCU Branch Vice Chair
Marian Mayer, Bournemouth University, UCU NEC
Rich McEwan, Vice Chair FEC, Branch Chair NCC Poplar, UCU NEC
Christina Paine, London Metropolitan University, UCU NEC
Matt Perry, Newcastle University, UCU Branch Chair and NEC
Regi Pilling, Westminster Kingsway College, UCU Branch Secretary and NEC
Mark Taylor-Batty, Univerity of Leeds, UCU NEC
Marco Tesei, West London College, UCU NEC
Suzi Toole, Bolton College, UCU Vice President
Sean Vernell, City and Islington College, UCU NEC
Sean Wallis, University College London, UCU Branch Secretary, UCU London Regional Secretary, UCU NEC
Kevin Ward, Middlesex University, ARPS Committee, UCU NEC
Cecilia Wee, Royal College of Arts, UCU NEC
Saira Weiner, Liverpool John Moores University, UCU NEC
Richard Wild, Greenwich University, UCU NEC

Individual signatories (including trade union members and local reps, campaign officers and individuals)
Liz A Gray
Jeanette Abendstern
Eadaoin Agnew, UCU
Fauzia Ahmad
Rachel Alexander
Euphrosyne Andrews
Renate Aspden
Phil Baber, AOb
Gill Barn, Unison
Kate Bennett, Union rep, University of Liverpool, UCU
Huw Beynon, UCU
Justin Blakebrough
Sheila Bouitieh
Harriet Bradley, UCU
Sara Bragg, UCU
Ray Brassier
Diana Brighouse
Briony Brooks, Union rep, UCU
Ray Campbell, Union rep, UCU
Amanda Carter
Mihail Chiru, UCU
Dharminder Chuhan, Union Rep, Sandwell College, UCU
Laura Clarke, Unison
Garry Clarkson, National Union of Journalists
Owen Clayton, UCU
Jill Coleman
Zoë Collins
Vicky Crewe, Union Rep, Sheffield University, UCU
William Crosby, UCU
Timothy Crowther, NEU
James Dickins, Union Rep, UCU
Wojciech Dmochowski, UCU
Eddie Dougall, BECTU
Allison Drew, UCU
Karl Drinkwater
Gair Dunlop, UCU
Dan Elphick, Union rep, UCU
Rick Evans, Unite
Karen Evans, UCU
Kate Ferguson, UCU
Lorna Finlayson, UCU
Sophie Franklin
John Garrett
Joanne Gatenby
Raymond Geuss
Martin Giddey, Equality Officer, UCU
Jo Gilks, Unison
Aisling Gilligan
Thanasis Giouras
Sylvia Godfrey
Priyamvada Gopal, UCU
Louise Gray, Unison
Penny Green, Queen Mary University London, UCU
Tess Green, UNISON
Winmarie Greenland, NEU Retired
Tony Greenstein, Unite
Chris Griffin
Rupert Gude
Peter Hallward, Kingston University, UCU
Lisa Halse
Ian Halverson
Sue-Ann Harding, UCU
Nicola Harrison, NEU
Jane Hawkes
Matt Haycocks, UCU
Brenda Herbert, UCU
Alison Hersey
Margot Hill, Union rep, Retired Members, UCU
Helen Hills, UCU
Peter Hirst
Aggie Hirst, UCU
Nick Hodgkinson
Gary Howkins
Rosemary Kate Hughes, Unison
Catherine Hughes, Unite Community
Feyzi Ismail, UCU
Geetika Jain, Union Rep, UCU
Diana Jeater, Branch committee, Liverpool John Moores University, UCU
Joanne Jones
Anthea Jones, NEU
Lewis Jones, Union Rep, UCU
Lyes Kahouadji, Union rep, UCU
David Kaplan, Union Rep, Working Mens College, UCU
June Kathchild, Union Rep, Retired Members, UCU
Surinder Kaur, UNISON
Rose Kaye
Frances Kelly, PCS
Cormac Kelly, NEU
Michelle Staggs Kelsall, UCU
Tassia Kobylinska, UCU
Janet Koike
Anja Komatar, Union Rep, UCU
Natalie Kopytko, School Rep, UCU
Richard Kuper, UCU
Fiona Leach, UCU
Mark Levene
Brian Lobel, UCU
Yosefa Loshitzky
Michael Loughlin
Thembi Luckett, UCU
Lauren MacGowan
Deborah Mallender
Margaret Manning, UNITE
Vicky Marsh
Caroline Martin, UCU
John McCartney, Unison (Retired)
Esther McIntosh, UCU
Steve McKenzie, Unite
Will McMahon, UCU
Roseanne McNamee, UCU
Robyn Mcsharry, NASUWT
Alex Merron, Green Rep, UCU
Angie Mindel, NEU
Harry Mitchell
David Mond, UCU
Linda Moore, Union rep, UCU
Carlo Morelli, Union Rep, UCU
Susan CR Morgan
Nushi Nazemi, N/A
Liam O, UCU
Simon O’Hara, Warwickshire NEU
Mark O’Leary
Robyn Orfitelli, Union Rep, Sheffield University, UCU
Adam Ozanne, UCU Trustee, UCU
Anna Pollert, UCU
Megan James Povey, Union rep, UCU
Nicola Pratt, UCU
Cherie Pruden, Unison
Paola Quevedo, Unison
Martin Ralph, Union Rep, Liverpool University, UCU
Anandi Ramamurthy, UCU
Joe Redmayne, Health and Safety Rep, Newcastle University, UCU
Claudia Regan, Union Rep, City of Bristol College, UCU
Lara Rettondini, UCU
Deirdre Aine Reynolds
Louanne Richards
Nils Rickardsson Olsson, UCU
Matt Riemland, UCU
Susanna Riviere
John Rogers, Unison
Rachel Rosen, UCU
Leon Rosselson, Musicians’ Union
Stephen Rowell, NEU
Caroline Royds
Gabrielle Russell, UCU
Ruth San Martin, OPSEU
Rosie Sauvage
Josie Scott, Union rep, UCU
Tanya Serisier, UCU
Rachel Shanks, Union Rep, UCU
Martin Shaw
Ellen Shobrook, Branch Committee, University of Birmingham, UCU
Andy Shuttleworth, Union Rep, UCU
Shiva Sikdar, UCU
Stephen Slator
Roddy Slorach, Union Rep, UCU
Alasdair Smith, NEU
Jess Snell
David Somervell, UCU
Nick Soper, Unite
Lorea Soto, Union Rep, City of Bristol College, UCU
Roger Southall
Peter Spillane, Unite
Sue Spilling
Urmilla Stoughton
Mark Stuart-Smith, UCU
Mayssoun Sukarieh, UCU
William (Steve) Sydenham, Retired
Graham Towl
Fay Turner
Ronnie Turus, UCU
Alyson Tyler
Diana Vallverdu, Union rep, Norwich University of the Arts, UCU
Tim Varlow
Loes Veldpaus, Branch Sec, Newcastle University, UCU
Daniel Vulliamy, UNITE
Stephen Wagg, UCU
Colin Walker
Pat Walmsley, NEU
Owen Walsh, UCU
Ian Walters, NEU
Janet Watson, UCU
Stephanie Webber, Artists Union England
Lynn Welchman, UCU
Rosemary White
David Wilson, UCU
Andy Wood, UCU
Lesley Wood
Brian Woodward
Pam Wortley, Unite
Fiona Wright
Rita Wright, Union rep, Retired Members, UCU
Mary Wyatt
Janine Young

Background

Back in August 2024, Sam Corner, Ellie Kamio, Lottie Head and Fatema Zainab Rajwani were among a group of six activists who broke into a factory operated by Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, located in the Filton neighbourhood of Bristol. Once inside, the activists damaged or dismantled some of the military equipment they found, include sniper quadcopter drones whose documented use has contributed to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine.

The activists were arrested on the scene and kept in prison on remand for more than eighteen months. Once their case eventually went to trial in November 2025 they readily acknowledged that the purpose of their raid on the Filton factory was to put some of Elbit’s munitions out of use. Although their judge Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson set exceptionally severe limits on what they and their barristers were allowed to tell the jury, they tried to explain that they had intended to damage these weapons in order to save the lives of at least a few people exposed to Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza. Presumably because they were convinced by these explanations, in February 2026 the jury refused to convict any of the Filton defendants on any charge; they acquitted them of the more serious charges like aggravated burglary, and left the lesser charge of criminal damage undecided.

Government prosecutors quickly decided to retry the Filton activists on this lesser charge, and judge Johnson now imposed even stricter limits on their lawyers could tell the new jury (or share with the wider public). This new jury was then asked to rule on whether or not the six Filton activists had committed acts of criminal damage. In the light of the judge’s instructions, on 5 May the jury found four of the six guilty as charged. What the jurors didn’t know, however — and what until recently the wider public also hasn’t known — is that from the beginning of the trial the judge was planning to sentence those convicted not for the relatively mild offence of criminal damage but for the much more serious and life-changing crime of terrorism.

If the prosecution application is successful, the Filton 4 will see their jail sentences extended, early release provisions disapplied, and upon eventual release they could be licensed as terrorists for up to 15 years, requiring them to register any new device, bank account, email, or relationship with the police.

This is a test case, and if the Filton judge gets away with this, the precedent could help to suppress all forms of conscientious protest. (In addition to criminalising perfectly legitimate slogans like “globalise the intifada,” one minor indication of the government’s current priorities is suggested by the fact that, immediately after he secured these Filton convictions in early May, judge Johnson was promoted to the role of Deputy Senior Presiding Judge of England and Wales).

As the campaigning civil liberties group Defend Our Juries has explained, if Keir Starmer’s judiciary is allowed to slap a vaguely worded “terrorist connection” on to a non-terrorist offence then such chilling tactics “could be used against any activist accused of criminal damage relating to any cause, regardless of whether they are connected to a group or organisation. This would be the first time in British history that this has ever happened. We must oppose this with all our might.”

This open letter will be handed into the court before the sentencing on June 12th. 

See also the open letter from members of the legal profession here