Bodycam Footage Reveals Sledgehammer Attack During Protest

Pro-Palestine activists are on trial following a violent incident that occurred during a protest at a factory in the United Kingdom. Bodycam footage presented to jurors on November 24, 2024, allegedly shows one activist striking a police officer with a sledgehammer while others clashed with law enforcement.

The six members of Palestine Action, an organization advocating for Palestinian rights, are accused of participating in a break-in at a facility owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Prosecutors claim that the activists executed a “meticulously organized” operation in August 2024, using a prison van to gain access to the site. They face multiple charges, including aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder, all of which they deny.

The individuals on trial include Charlotte Head (29), Samuel Corner (23), Leona Kamio (30), Fatema Rajwani (21), Zoe Rogers (22), and Jordan Devlin (31). Corner has specifically denied the allegation of striking officer Kate Evans with the sledgehammer.

Witness accounts and video evidence detail a chaotic scene. The bodycam footage, released by the New York Post, captures police responding to the break-in. One officer can be seen deploying a taser on an activist who was allegedly damaging property with spray paint and attempting to resist arrest. As officers struggled to control the situation, another activist allegedly struck the female officer from behind with a sledgehammer.

The impact resulted in serious injuries, including a fracture to the officer’s spine. In her testimony, Officer Evans described the moment as a shocking experience. “I can remember looking up, and PC [Peter] Adams for some reason had a shocked face on him, and then I had a pain in my back,” she recalled. The attack left her in “intense pain,” and the alleged assailant reportedly accused the police of being “complicit in genocide” during the altercation.

According to reports from Sky News, the police force involved, Avon and Somerset Police, has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the incident. Palestine Action has been previously proscribed under the UK’s terrorism laws, following accusations of vandalizing aircraft at a Royal Air Force base.

The trial continues as both sides present their arguments and evidence regarding the events of that August morning. The outcome could have significant implications, not only for the individuals involved but also for the discourse surrounding protests related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.