Defend Our Juries

MORE BREAKING NEWS Reporting restrictions on the so-called “terrorism connection” in the Filton retrial have been lifted. For the first time in British history, a judge is seeking to sentence protestors as terrorists despite the jury convicting them only on criminal damage charges. What “terrorist connection”? There isn’t one. Not one of the 24 defendants has a terrorism charge, let alone conviction. Their action took place a year prior to the proscribing of Palestine Action. The ban on Palestine Action was ruled unlawful by the High Court in February. Mr Justice Johnson ordered reporting restrictions over the case during the trial. Today, a week after the trial ended, he lifted restrictions. They will be sentenced as terrorists. A reminder that two separate juries in two separate trials did not convict them on any charge of violent intent. The facts and sentencing plans were not only hidden from the public, they were hidden from the jury in the trial, too! •No defences permitted •Defendants could not mention motives, Israel, weapons, Elbit, genocide, Jury Equity, etc •Conviction would secretly lead to “terrorism” sentencing This is the first time that any person convicted of an offence for protest will be sentenced as a terrorist, meaning: •Aggravated sentences •They’ll serve full sentence or ‘reform’ & rescind ‘beliefs’ •No parole until they’ve served at least 2/3rd sentence •License for up to 15 years (including requirement to register tech and relationships with police) Justice has been flipped on its head. In a normal trial, a conscientious motive such as acting to stop a genocide would be a mitigating factor. In This trial the moral intentions of the defendants is being used as an aggravating factor. This is not justice. It’s a stitch-up. Rogue judges are attempting to remove conscience from our courts, even blocking jurors from their lawful rights. The attack on juries is an attack on everyone. Join us to stand for justice: fendourjuries.net

BREAKING - RAJIV MENON KC WINS APPEAL Following an attempt by Mr Justice Johnson to prosecute Palestine Action barrister for “contempt of court” after his closing speech mentioned the legal principle known as “jury Equity”, Rajiv Menon has won his appeal. What is Jury Equity? If a jury decides that the person who stands accused of a crime made the morally correct choice in their actions, the jury can find them “not-guilty”, even if the evidence shows that they did carry out the actions they are on trial for. This has been a legal principle since 1670. Rajiv Menon is believed to be the first barrister in British legal history to be pursued over the contents of their closing speech. He did what every defence barrister should be free to do - in discharging his duty to his client: he told a jury the truth about their own rights. Today, The Court of Appeal ruled that Mr Justice Johnson had no jurisdiction to refer Rajiv Menon KC directly to the High Court. This was unlawful. It is no coincidence that this attempt to silence a barrister is connected to activists who disrupted Israel’s genocidal war crimes. Rogue judges are attempting to remove any mention of this principle to jurors, blocking their lawful rights. Labour is attempting to heavily restrict jury trials, preventing access to fair justice. The attack on juries is an attack on everyone. Join us: defendourjuries.net

BREAKING - Mixed verdicts in the retrial of the first six Filton 24 defendants. The jury found that Sam had not intended to cause any harm, acquitting on the “with intent” charge, instead choosing to convict on Grievous Bodily Harm without intent. This is a much lower offence, and forces the courts & the government to accept the truth of no violent intent. The jury found Samuel Corner, Charlotte Head, Ellie Kamio, and Fatema Zainab Rajwani guilty of criminal damage for dismantling weapons of genocide in Israel’s largest weapons factory on UK soil, operated by Elbit Systems UK. They did not find everyone guilty, though. The jury found Zoë Rogers and Jordan Devlin not guilty of criminal damage, choosing to ignore the judge’s direction and to rely on their own conscience. The judge had removed all defences in law but the jury saw straight through it in these two cases. This means that Jordan and Zoë have no guilty verdicts for any crime, and are free. All six were previously acquitted of “aggravated burglary” and “violent disorder”. The four found guilty will be sentenced as ‘terrorists’, despite no such charge, and have been told that custodial sentences will be ‘inevitable’. The jury were never told this during the trial. There are a further 18 defendants to face trial on criminal damage charges only. Following the acquittal on the “with intent” element of Sam’s charge, it is now undeniable among the courts that Palestine Action does not advocate for violence, as we well knew. It’s a witch-hunt. Join the fight to defend our rights and freedoms. We must continue to oppose the corrupting of UK law by corporate interests.

Jordan Devlin was found not guilty of any charges after a second trial of the Filton 6 earlier this month. In August 2024, he was arrested at the Elbit Systems research and development facility in Filton after destroying drones destined for Gaza. He was held on remand for more than a year. A jury found him not guilty of Aggravated Burglary or Violent Disorder in January, but they could not reach a verdict on Criminal Damage. He was released on bail until a second trial last month, where along with Zoe Rogers he was acquitted on that charge. Four fellow activists were found guilty of Criminal Damage and were immediately remanded until sentencing on 18 June. It has now been revealed that Mr Justice Johnson is likely to apply a terrorist connection when sentencing, which could severely increase their likely time in prison and affect their release on licence for years to come. They have never been charged with a terrorist offence and the jury was not told this would apply.

“I welcome the opportunity of a retrial, because it means the evidence of what Israel has done to Gaza will be placed in court.’’ Majid Freeman’s speech after the judge ordered a retrial. He thanked everyone who showed up in support, including the 70+ organisations that supported him despite the terrorism allegations. He encouraged people to continue the movement, reminding everyone that Palestine is watching and will not be abandoned.

“I don’t blame the jury for their decision as the truth was withheld from them..” Jordan and Zoe of the Filton24 speak with conviction outside of Woolwich Crown Court after four of the first filton6 to start trial are convicted on charges of criminal damage. It is a travesty of justice that Sam, Lottie, Ellie and Fatema Zainab were remanded today by a system which is complicit in genocide itself. Even the prosecution didn’t seek to remand them, but an arbitrary decision made by the judge. The Filton24 acted to save lives with courage and compassion. And they should be celebrated. Free the Filton 24

Majid Freeman’s trial continues tomorrow in Birmingham Crown Court, he stands wrongfully accused of encouraging terrorism having been a vocal advocate for peace and the end to occupation and genocide. We spoke with some supporters outside the court last week, some of whom held signs displaying the rights of jurors. Recently, 18 people have been unlawfully arrested for holding these perfectly lawful signs outside Woolwich Crown Court where the retrial of six of the Filton 24 has been taking place. Both of these cases serve as immeasurably important trials in the fight to defend our rights and freedoms in the UK. Majid is accused on terrorism charges for speaking words in support of the right of Palestinians to oppose the brutal occupation they are living under. There is no international law that forbids a people from resisting against such an occupation of their home. The Filton 24 are accused of criminal damage after dismantling weapons of genocide that were being manufactured on UK soil. The UK, along with allies in the international community, has an obligation to do all that it can to stop genocide. Our government is failing not only its citizens, but it is failing in its international duties. Jurors have a right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience. It is imperative that jurors are aware of their rights in law, and we will continue to raise awareness to those rights - especially where courts fail to do so. Join us in the fight for our rights and freedoms: Support the groups on the frontline of direct action, @directactiontraininguk @takeback.power @the_aftershock_ @animal.rising @shut_the_system 🎥: @khashayars_camera

🚨 BREAKING: ARREST AT NONVIOLENCE TRAINING 11 police just showed up to arrest one person at a Take Back Power nonviolence training in Hyde Park. Maybe if @metpolice_uk spent less time going after ordinary people peacefully standing against inequality, and more time going after the billionaire tax evaders and corrupt politicians, we wouldn't have 4 million children living in food poverty. Sign the petition in our bio to demand Starmer immediately scraps the new anti-protest legislation: @takeback.power

🗣️ We can still defend the right to protest🗣️ The Joint Committee on Human Rights is currently conducting an independent inquiry into breaches as a result of anti-protest legislation over recent years, and they’re calling for evidence and testimonies from the public. This is our opportunity to make our voices and experiences heard, especially while the government are amplifying their attempts to ban protest movements and peaceful marches. ‼️ @n1mnot1more is currently supporting people to make submissions to the inquiry. We have until the 5th May. Email [email protected] to share your experiences‼️

BREAKING: Arrests outside Woolwich Crown Court as retrial of 6 of Filton 24 continues. Lawful sign holding vigil stopped by police this morning as people arrested with signs reminding jurors they have an absolute right to acquit. The 2024 case of HM Solicitor General v Trudi Warner proved in the High Court that this is not an unlawful act. Trudi Warner herself was arrested for doing exactly this in the same location last week, replicating the initial action she took in 2023 which followed with a year-long pursuit by the highest legal authority in government. Trudi Warner won. Jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience. Today’s arrests, last week’s arrests, and any other such arrests are unlawful! fendourjuries.net

NO ARRESTS? The Met Police appear to have once again given up on arresting people for displaying signs with the words “I oppose genocide - I support Palestine Action” written on them. Ams, a member of the Defend Our Juries community tested this theory today outside the Royal Courts of Justice during the Home Office Appeal over the ban, approaching multiple groups of officers while wearing a paper necklace displaying the phrase seven times. Police refused to make an arrest. Two further individuals held signs saying “I still oppose genocide - I still support Palestine Action” for over an hour outside the courts, while many dozens of people at one point stated out loud “We oppose genocide - We support Palestine Action” moments before handing a letter with over 1,700 signatories stating the same phrase to the judges in the Court of Appeal. The opposition is too great. This unlawful ban is impossible to enforce. Time to lift it! Join us:

Dutch activist Olax Outis from @freethefilton24nl gave an honest speech today about how it does not require extraordinary people to take action to end genocide - saying of our friends who have chosen to take direct action against the weapons industry; “every one of us can do what they have done. The only difference between them and us is a choice.” Direct Action works because ordinary people step up and make it happen. Olax is right to point out that those we look to as our “heroes” in this fight truly are the ones doing what almost anyone else could be doing. Nobody could have know that the average person arrested for “terrorism” in 2025 would be a pensioner holding a piece of paper! Ordinary people, when we come together, have always been the catalyst for positive change. Follow @directactiontraininguk for information on how taking collective direct action works. Olax spoke today after being released from a British prison, where he had been held on remand for over a month following the spraying of a Churchill Statue in Parliament Square. The action was carried out on behalf of Free the Filton 24 Netherlands, a Dutch campaign group who have carried out a number of actions in the Netherlands to highlight the mistreatment of UK Political Prisoner group, the Filton 24. This was the Dutch group’s first action on UK soil. When comparing the outrage to the use of children’s finger paint on a washable statue to the horrors and destruction caused in Gaza and Lebanon using weapons produced in UK factories, it’s hard to understand how this gentle man was imprisoned without trial while war criminals roam the corridors of Parliament and Downing Street. Free the Filton 24. Free all political prisoners. Free Palestine. Join the fight for our rights and freedoms: