Calls to stop protests ahead of activists' retrial

The head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has called for action to be taken to stop protests outside of court ahead of a retrial of Palestine Action activists.

Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin face a retrial in connection with a raid at a UK subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm near Bristol after a jury failed to return full verdicts last week.

Demonstrations were held outside Woolwich Crown Court during the trial, and posters were also displayed on the route to the court.

Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the protests were "a threat to the administration of justice".

He added the police and courts had been "forewarned", and he hoped action would be taken to prevent similar demonstrations during the retrial.

Parkinson said the actions of the protesters had been "highly regrettable" and "clearly intended to influence the jury".

"I'm not going to opine as to whether or not an offence is committed, but it's obviously a concern that if that is the motivation - which I'm sure it was - then that amounts to some form of contempt," he added.

Head, 29, Corner, 23, Kamio, 30, Rajwani, 21, Rogers, 22, and Devlin, 31, were acquitted of aggravated burglary last week, but after deliberating for 36 hours and 34 minutes, the jury failed to reach verdicts for charges of criminal damage against the six defendants.

They also failed to reach a verdict on the charges of violent disorder against Head, Kamio and Corner.

No verdict was reached for a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent either, which Corner was accused of after allegedly striking police sergeant Kate Evans in the back with a sledgehammer during the raid.

The break-in happened before Palestine Action was proscribed by the government on 5 July 2025.

Supporting the group is now classed as a criminal offence under terrorism legislation.

All the defendants except Mr Corner were released on bail last week.

The CPS is expected to confirm which charges it will pursue at any retrial at a hearing on 18 February.

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