Filming Palestine Action
A video journalist's view.
It’s February 2021. I pack up my car and drive across the country to a car park location I am given. I prep my kit, camera in hand, top mic attached, rucksack on.
Just before 2am I see their van drive past. I quickly lock the car, and run to catch up, see where it is turning, down a side road, into an industrial estate.
The group I am about to film is Palestine Action. In my interviews I ask why the the protestors are here.
The horrors they have heard of going on in Palestine are too much to bear. Of phosphorus bombs on a family home and members of the family running out still burning. How this company, Elbit, says its arms are battle tested, and the protestor says ‘they are battle tested on Palestinians.’
This protestor has been to Palestine. Heard first hand accounts.
The back of their hire van is open and they are handing out bag after bag. A ladder is propped against the building and I film the first couple scurry up.
I run around getting footage. Their hire van drives off.
I can hear sirens. Multiple police vehicles arrive, blue lights spinning. Amazing shot I think to myself, panning from the last person climbing the ladder to the blue lights.
The police rush from their vehicles… AND ARREST ME. I am the only person left on the ground.
‘No no, I say.’ I am press. I show them my NUJ, National Union of Journalists, press card which is hanging around my neck. I am held firmly by one arm.
‘Stop filming!’ the officer says.
‘Excuse me, but you are filming.’ I say, pointing to his body cam. ‘You are doing your job, let me get on with mine.’
This is stressful. I am super tired. My camera kit now has a policeman rummaging through it. It’s all cables, lights and batteries and obviously camera kit not action paraphernalia.
‘Have you checked my NUJ card yet?’
Another officer has taken this away and calls the number to confirm my press credentials. Then I am told I can go. I am de arrested. It’s been over an hour standing there on this freezing February night.
At dawn I see the Palestine Action group stand up on the roof, large Palestine flags are unfurled and waved. They had climbed up with sledgehammers on ropes and attaching them to their wrists they let them swing down. Windows crack and distort. Another smashes the surveillance camera.
The fire extinguishers they carried up the ladder are full of red paint, to symbolise blood. The spray covers the brickwork and the windows.
The older man stands up and amidst the chaos going on around him, he shouts towards me - ‘I don’t want to be up here, I don’t enjoy smashing things up, that’s not how I was brought up, but this company is making weapons which are killing Palestinians. It shouldn’t be here in this country.’
Here’s a film of the protest by Real Media.
The six protestors were arrested and prosecuted for over £50,000 of damage.
There are 16 Elbit locations in the UK employing 680 people. Palestine Action states that four of these sites have either closed permanently or relocated due to sustained direct action, including the London headquarters.
In 2025 the UK Government declared Palestine Action as a proscribed group, meaning that to take part in one of their actions or even to declare your support for them means that YOU could be dragged through the courts for being a terrorist, an offence which carries the risk of up to a 14 year jail sentence.
Due to this ban a wave of protests took place all over the country - but mainly in central London, resulting in over 2700 arrests. At each event blank placards were brought out and the words ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’ were hand written. I photograph one of the black marker pens and post the photo posing the question - ‘Is this the weapon of a terrorist?’
Some play with the wording. There is the t-shirt with ‘Plasticine Action - We oppose AI generated animation.’
Another writes ‘I don’t support Palestine Inaction,’ but he is also arrested.
I film as one policeman approaches a campaigner, called Angie Zelter.
‘I’m going to arrest you now’ he says ‘I’ve seen you holding a sign, Palestine Action, which is an offence under section 13 of the Terrorism Act.
“Which is ridiculous isn’t it’ says Angie
‘I know’ says the policeman, then proceeds to arrest her.
I post out this short clip and it’s watched by 97,000 people on Instagram.
Earlier this year I sold the footage I shot outside the Elbit factory to the Dispatches documentary - Palestine Action: The Truth Behind The Ban, broadcast on Channel 4. The screening was delayed until a current Palestine Action court case had ended. The ‘Filton group’ were cleared of aggravated burglary.
On the 13th February an appeal against the proscription of Palestine Action resulted in three senior judges in the Royal Courts of Justice stating that the Palestine Action ban is unlawful. Supporters cheered outside the court.
The Government has appealed this verdict so the limbo for the protestors arrested for holding signs carries on, the Elbit factories still operate in the UK and the horrors of life in Gaza continues.
Brilliant work, Zoe. Communicates - short and sharp - the shocking reality and its upside-down absurdity
Great to read your account Zoe. Thank you!