Palestine Action: Court hears of violent raid at Elbit factory

The Incident

Things took a intense turn at an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, back in August 2024. A trial currently underway at Woolwich Crown Court is looking at what prosecutors describe as a highly coordinated break-in. Five individuals—Qesser Zuhrah, 21, Zahra Farooque, 26, Kamran Ahmed, 29, Heba Muraisi, 31, and Liam Mullany, 34—are facing charges of criminal damage and violent disorder. They have all entered pleas of not guilty.

The 'Black Team' vs 'Red Team' Strategy

Prosecutors laid out a pretty wild plan that was allegedly recovered by police. The group reportedly split into two distinct factions: a 'black team' in black jumpsuits, whose job was to handle security, and a 'red team' in red jumpsuits, whose mission was to get inside and wreck the place.

According to the prosecution, the black team allegedly used intimidation tactics—including whips, hammers, and kebab skewers—to keep security staff away. Things escalated when a security guard, Nigel Shaw, reportedly got into a scuffle with one of the activists. The prosecution claims that when Shaw detained an activist, others swarmed him, resulting in a 4cm gash on his head.

The Raid

It sounds like a heist movie gone wrong. Around 3:30 a.m., a prison van allegedly rammed through two perimeter fences. While the red team went to town with sledgehammers, crowbars, and fire extinguishers filled with red paint to trash drones and computer gear, the black team was outside allegedly throwing fireworks and smoke grenades. The goal, according to the prosecution’s documents, was to "shut Elbit down" and destroy as much as possible before police arrived. It’s giving high-stakes chaos, but now the legal consequences are hitting real time.

Why it matters

This trial highlights the extreme tactics sometimes used in political protests and raises big questions about where the line is drawn between activism and criminal violence. For now, the court is focused on whether these specific individuals were responsible for the injuries and destruction reported that night.