Filton 18
 Filton 18(Activism)     | |
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| Eighteen Palestine Action activists |
The Filton 18 are a group of Palestine Action activists who, in August 2024, forced their way through the doors of a UK base of Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems at Filton, on the outskirts of Bristol.
The Filton 18 were taking direct action against the UK's complicity in Israel’s brutal war in Gaza – which has been described by United Nations experts and many others as genocidal – and attempting to disrupt the work of the Filton facility. Palestine Action has since continued to protest at buildings Elbit owns near Bristol.[1]
Elbit Systems UK is a subsidiary of the largest manufacturer of arms for the Israeli military. Elbit produces 85% of the Israel Defence Force’s (IDF) land-based equipment, and 85% of drones used by its air force, and advertises its products as “battle-tested” in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to Palestine Action, the action which took place in August 2024 included damaging quadcopter drones being manufactured in the UK which may have been otherwise shipped for use in Gaza. Quadcopter drones have been widely used by the Israeli army in its ongoing genocide, the robotic devices are regularly used to kill and surveil Palestinians under occupation both in Gaza and in the West Bank.
More than six months on from the August break-in, the Palestine Action activists languish behind bars, where they will remain at least until December 2025 when they are due to stand trial.[2]
Related Document
| Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document:Palestine Action to be proscribed as a terror group after break-in at UK's largest airbase | Article | 20 June 2025 | MEE staff | Palestine Action have carried out a series of high-profile actions during Israel's war on Gaza. Eighteen PA activists were arrested on terror charges after an action in August 2024 when activists drove a modified van into the research and development hub of UK-based Israeli arms company, Elbit Systems, in Filton, Bristol. The Filton 18 are currently being held in remand. |
