Five Palestine Action activists on trial over August 2024 Elbit Systems raid in Filton
Five Palestine Action activists went on trial at Woolwich Crown Court over a 2024 break-in at Elbit Systems' Filton site near Bristol. Prosecutors say a "black team" used fireworks and weapons against guards, one of whom was injured; the defendants deny all charges.
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The story, neutrally told
MixedFive Palestine Action activists went on trial at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday 2 October 2026 over a raid on the Elbit Systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, in the early hours of 6 August 2024. The GuardianLC “went on trial at Woolwich crown court on Friday charged with criminal damage and violent disorder over the raid during the early hours of 6 August 2024” Read at The Guardian ↗ GB NewsR “Five Palestine Action activists are facing two counts each of criminal damage and violent disorder” Read at GB News ↗ MixedThe defendants are Kamran Ahmed, 29, Zahra Farooque, 26, Heba Muraisi, 31, Qesser Zuhrah, 21, and Liam Mullany, 34; they face criminal damage and violent disorder charges, and all deny them. GB NewsR “Kamran Ahmed, 29, Zahra Farooque, 26, Heba Muraisi, 31, Qesser Zuhrah, 21 and Liam Mullany, 34, all deny all the charges against them.” Read at GB News ↗ The GuardianLC “They deny the charges.” Read at The Guardian ↗ MixedOpening the case, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said the five were part of a "black team" in black jumpsuits with covered faces, whose role was to overwhelm security guards so that a "red team" could break into the factory and smash equipment including drones. The GuardianLC “whose role was to overwhelm security guards, so that a “red team”, wearing red jumpsuits, could break into the Elbit systems factory in Filton” Read at The Guardian ↗ GB NewsR “dressed in jumpsuits and wearing face coverings to conceal their identity” Read at GB News ↗
MixedHeer said the black team did this by threatening, intimidating and, if necessary, assaulting guards, throwing fireworks and brandishing weapons such as whips, hammers and large kebab skewers; jurors were shown video of the team rushing towards the factory. The GuardianLC “by threatening, intimidating and, if necessary, assaulting the guards, by throwing fireworks at them and brandishing weapons, such as whips and hammers and large kebab skewers” Read at The Guardian ↗ GB NewsR “Jurors were shown a video of the team allegedly “rushing towards” the factory” Read at GB News ↗ LeftThe court heard a prison van driven by a red team member crashed through the first perimeter fence at about 3.30am, and the black team followed on foot shouting slogans including "Free Palestine" as it went through a second fence. The GuardianLC “a prison van, driven by a member of the red team, crashed through the first perimeter fence surrounding Elbit’s factory at about 3.30am” Read at The Guardian ↗ MixedGuard Nigel Shaw suffered a 4cm laceration to the head. Prosecutors said that after one black team member was detained by a guard, others hit him until he released their colleague; the Guardian adds that Shaw had earlier struck a team member across the legs with an umbrella. The GuardianLC “When one of the black team was detained by a security guard, other members of the group attacked him, hitting him until he released their colleague”“who had struck a member of the black team across the back of his legs with an umbrella” Read at The Guardian ↗ GB NewsR “The security guard, named Nigel Shaw, was left with a 4cm “laceration to his head”” Read at GB News ↗
RightGB News reports the group shouted "we come in peace" to two unarmed guards, Nigel Shaw and Angelo Volante, which the prosecution said "couldn't be further from the truth"; Zuhrah and Muraisi were said to be among those who surrounded them. GB NewsR “Jurors were told the group then shouted “we come in peace” to the two unarmed security guards”“two of the defendants, Qesser Zuhrah and Heba Muraisi, were among the members of the team who surrounded the two security guards, Nigel Shaw and Angelo Volante” Read at GB News ↗ RightThe prosecution said Zuhrah, identifiable by white trainers and a bandana, carried fireworks and a skewer, described her role as "lead covert operations", co-ordinated the team and obtained weapons. It said Muraisi scoped the site on Google and wore a GoPro. GB NewsR “The prosecution say Qesser Zuhrah was identifiable because she was the only person “wearing white trainers””“Zuhrah described her role in Palestine Action as “lead covert operations””“Heba Muraisi, used her iPhone to scope out the Elbit Systems site on Google.” Read at GB News ↗ LeftThe Guardian reports prosecutors quoting a police-found plan: "Shut Elbit Down". The red team was to destroy "as much property as possible" before police arrived, using red-paint extinguishers, crowbars and sledgehammers, and the black team were termed "coverts" meant to escape unidentified. The GuardianLC ““Shut Elbit Down. This is our primary objective as Palestine Action.”“the intention was “to get away without being caught”, unlike the red team who were labelled “overts”” Read at The Guardian ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Court report led by the alleged threat to guards with whips and hammers, setting out the 'black team'/'red team' plan and the sequence of the raid.
- Emphasis
- The planning document, the red team's property destruction, the van crashing through fences, and that guard Shaw had earlier struck a team member with an umbrella.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the 'we come in peace' shout, Zuhrah's alleged role or the Muraisi scoping evidence.
- Charged language
- “black team”
- For example
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“Palestine Action activists brandished whips, hammers and kebab skewers to intimidate security guards and keep them at bay” — The Guardian
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Leads with the injured guard and the 'kebab skewers' detail, in the headline and opening, focusing on the individual defendants' alleged roles.
- Emphasis
- Evidence against Zuhrah and Muraisi, the 'we come in peace' shout, and the fireworks photo reply 'OMG, that's terrifying.'
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the red team's damage to drones and equipment, the prison van, or the umbrella blow by the guard.
- Charged language
- “Israel-linked weapons facility”“carefully planned”
- For example
-
“A security guard suffered a laceration to his head after a group of Palestine Action activists armed with “fireworks, hammers and large kebab skewers” broke into an Israeli-linked” — GB News
What every side reports
- Five defendants are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court over the 6 August 2024 raid on Elbit Systems in Filton.
- They face criminal damage and violent disorder charges and deny them.
- Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told jurors the defendants were a 'black team' tasked with overwhelming guards.
- Guard Nigel Shaw suffered a 4cm head laceration.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the defendants are guilty
- Left
- Reports prosecution allegations and that the defendants deny the charges.
- Right
- Reports prosecution allegations and that the defendants deny all charges.
Left1 article
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Palestine Action activists used whips and hammers to threaten guards at arms factory, court hears
Neutral Prosecution-led legal report covering the planned raid's structure, with the charges and denials stated.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
GB NewsR ·
Critical Foregrounds the guard's injury and the weapons in a prosecution-led account, with detail on individual defendants.
- 2 Oct 14:51 First GB NewsR Palestine Action activists 'armed with kebab skewers injured guard at Israel-linked weapons facility'
- 2 Oct 18:18 +3h 28m The GuardianLC Palestine Action activists used whips and hammers to threaten guards at arms factory, court hears
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.