LONDON: A British pro-Palestinian activist on trial over a raid targeting Israeli defense firm Elbit said on Thursday she and her co-defendants had wanted to “cause as much property damage as we could” but said she was opposed to violence.
Charlotte Head, 29, and five others are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court over what prosecutors have described as a meticulously planned assault by Palestine Action on the Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol, southwest England, last August.
All six are charged with aggravated burglary, violent disorder and criminal damage, with one of Head’s co-defendants also charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent for allegedly hitting a police officer with a sledgehammer.
They all deny the charges. Head told jurors she and her co-defendants had decided to take action because “all else had failed.”
Head admitted she drove a repurposed former prison van carrying fellow activists through fences outside the factory and then into a loading bay in the early hours of August 6, 2024.
She said the plan was to “go in and destroy as many weapons as we could find.”
Head was asked by her lawyer Rajiv Menon: “Did you use violence against security guards or a police officer?” She replied: “No, never.”
Head said she was not involved in pro-Palestinian activism until after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, prompting a massive Israeli military response that Head described as a “genocide.”
Prosecutor Deanna Heer told jurors as the trial began last month that one of the six defendants, Samuel Corner, 23, hit a female police sergeant with a sledgehammer in the back, causing a lumbar spine fracture.
Head, asked on Thursday if she would have participated in action targeting Elbit if she knew someone would have used violence, said: “No, it was not a part of the plan.”
The trial continues.
UK pro-Palestinian activist says raid on Elbit factory was about destroying weapons
https://arab.news/resa6
UK pro-Palestinian activist says raid on Elbit factory was about destroying weapons
- Head admitted she drove a repurposed former prison van carrying fellow activists through fences outside the factory and then into a loading bay on August 6, 2024
Report highlights role of British Muslim charitable giving in supporting UK public services
- The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched service
LONDON: British Muslim charitable giving is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting frontline public services across the UK, according to a new report by policy and research organization Equi.
The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched services, including local councils, the NHS and welfare systems, at a time of growing financial pressure.
The report estimates that Muslim donors contribute around £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) annually, making them the UK’s most generous community.
This figure is around four times the national giving average and rises to almost 10 times the average among higher earners.
According to the findings, Muslim-led charities are providing a wide range of support, including housing assistance, emergency cash grants, food provision and mental health services, easing demand on statutory services.
Equi points to evidence from 2023 showing that housing support delivered by the National Zakat Foundation helped prevent evictions that would have cost councils an estimated £28.8 million, with every £1 of charitable spending generating £73 in public sector savings.
The report also highlights a generational shift, with younger British Muslims increasingly directing their donations toward domestic causes such as homelessness, child poverty and mental health challenges.
Despite their growing impact, Muslim charities face a number of barriers, including de-banking, restrictive funding rules, securitization measures and what the report describes as limited recognition from government. Equi argues that these challenges are constraining the sector’s ability to maximize its contribution.
“British Muslim giving is not just generosity but a lifeline for public services that needs recognizing,” said Equi Managing Director Prof. Javed Khan.
“From preventing evictions to supporting mental health, these donations are saving millions for the taxpayer and strengthening communities across Britain. The evidence is clear that Muslim-led action is delivering frontline support where the state is struggling,” he added.
Equi is calling on policymakers to engage more closely with Muslim-led charities and to move beyond what it describes as symbolic recognition.
The report recommends measures such as UK-based match-funding schemes and greater faith literacy within policymaking, which it says could unlock billions of pounds in additional domestic spending while maintaining the UK’s global humanitarian commitments.
The study concluded that with greater collaboration between government and Muslim charities, charitable giving could play an even more transformative role in strengthening public services and social cohesion across the country.
