Two Palestine Action protesters held for blocking Elbit UK site

Two protesters from Palestine Action, a group the government wants to reclassify as a terrorist organisation, have been arrested after blocking the entrance of a defence company.

Police said a 30-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man were being held in custody following protests at Elbit Systems in north Bristol on Tuesday.

The company had said two activists were “disrupting” its operations, covering the entrance to its site in red paint.

Palestine Action allege that Elbit Systems UK is involved in the manufacture and supply of weapons to the Israeli military – a claim that the company strongly denies. The BBC has contacted Elbit Systems for comment.

The facility has been the focus of a number of previous protests, including paint being thrown over the building and a ram raid.

Avon and Somerset Police said officers were called to the Bristol site at around 06:30 BST and arrested the man and woman.

They remain in custody on suspicion of criminal damage, unauthorised entry to a prohibited place and locking on to a person, object or land to cause serious disruption.

“We’re committed to facilitating people’s right to peaceful protest, but will not tolerate any criminal behaviour,” the force said.

The action comes as a draft order was laid before Parliament on Monday to amend the Terrorism Act 2000 to include Palestine Action as a proscribed organisation.

If approved, it would become a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of the direct action group or to support it.

MPs and peers are expected to debate the legislation on Wednesday and Thursday and, if approved, the ban could come into force by Friday.

Protesters on Tuesday morning also occupied the rooftop of subcontractor Guardtech Group in Suffolk.

Palestine Action is seeking a legal challenge against the government’s bid to proscribe it, with a hearing expected on Friday to decide whether the ban can be temporarily blocked, pending further proceedings to decide whether a legal challenge can be brought.

A Suffolk Police spokesperson also said officers and specialist negotiators were on the scene in Brandon “to bring this to a conclusion” and ensure the safety of those in the area.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Since then, 56,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.