Two protests at UK drone factories linked to Israel have drawn attention to the ongoing activism against the country's military operations. In Leicester, pro-Palestinian protesters reportedly scaled the roof of a factory owned by UAV Tactical Systems, a subsidiary of Israeli-owned Elbit Systems, on 24 April 2025. Leicestershire Police arrested two men in connection with the protest, according to police statements. The group People Against Genocide claimed responsibility for the action, as reported by local media. The current status of four protesters who remained on the roof has not been confirmed, and the extent of damage caused is unclear.
In a separate incident in Filton, near Bristol, a raid on an Elbit Systems facility on 6 August 2024 led to charges against several activists. Samuel Corner is accused of striking police sergeant Kate Evans with a sledgehammer during the protest, according to multiple reports. He is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, as stated in court documents. Six Palestine Action activists face criminal damage charges in connection with the raid, which involved activists using sledgehammers and crowbars to destroy drones and computers, according to two sources.
Once inside the factory, their job was to smash up as much property as they could and to keep smashing until the police arrived to arrest them.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Corner testified that he struck Sgt Evans to protect a co-defendant he believed was being seriously hurt, as reported by court testimony. The jury was shown footage of confrontations between activists and security guards during the raid, according to court proceedings. Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC described the attack, saying Corner raised his sledgehammer over his head and brought it down forcefully on Evans's back, then hit her a second time, as reported by local news. Evans screamed in pain and feared her spine was damaged, Heer said.
Three defendants—Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, and Leona Kamio—were found not guilty of violent disorder in connection with the Filton raid, according to two sources. The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on that charge, Heer confirmed, as reported by court statements. The outcome of the criminal damage trial for the Filton defendants remains pending. The relationship between People Against Genocide and Palestine Action is not clear.
He raised his sledgehammer over his head and brought it down forcefully over her back. Having hit her once, he raised it again and hit her with it a second time … She screamed in pain. She was immediately terrified that her spine had been damaged and when she tried, she was unable to get up.