In August 2024, 18 activists from Palestine Action targeted Elbit Systems in Filton, UK, damaging drones allegedly destined for Gaza. Arrested under the UK’s Terrorism Act, they were held for days – and some for months -without charge. On March 27, 2025, a key hearing took place at the Old Bailey in London. Outside, hundreds protested the criminalisation of civil disobedience. The case of the “FILTON 18” has since sparked national and international debate over the use of anti-terror laws against peaceful resistance.

As of May 2025, the FILTON 18 remain in pre-trial detention. Despite being charged with non-terror offences, authorities continue to assert a ‘terrorism connection,’potentially leading to harsher sentencing. Their trials are set for late 2025 and mid-2026. The outcome could define how Britain treats protest in the years to come.

As of May 2025, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been officially reported killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli offensive. Independent studies and humanitarian organizations estimate the real number is at least 41% higher, suggesting the actual death toll exceeds 74,000. 2.1 million people in Gaza are currently cut off from humanitarian aid. Access to food, clean water, and medical supplies has completely collapsed. There are no safe spaces left – homes, hospitals, schools, and shelters have been systematically destroyed. The United Nations warns that the entire population of Gaza now faces the risk of death by famine.