In an unprecedented move, the British state has started criminal proceedings against a barrister who represented one of the ‘Filton 24’ Palestine Action activists in their recent trial, for alleged contempt of court.
In the over 500-year-long history of the criminal bar, not one barrister had ever faced contempt of court proceedings for a closing speech to a jury.
Knowing this, you would assume that there must have been an egregious breach of the law by Rajiv Menon KC, the barrister in question.
On the contrary, his alleged ‘offence’ was to inform the jury of a 350-year-old principle of criminal law – a principle so well established that it is commemorated by a plaque outside the Old Bailey in London!
The closing speech by Menon at the original trial in January explained to the jury that they are entitled to acquit the accused based on their conscience: the appalling role of Elbit Systems in producing weapons for genocide in Gaza; and Elbit’s relationship with politicians in Westminster.
This speech likely went a long way towards the jury acquitting all activists of the most serious charges.
Legal shenanigans
Ever since the incident at the weapons factory near Bristol, the British state has been using all its tools to convict the activists of serious offences.
This is nothing but plain intimidation against the Palestine movement, and an attempt to cover the government’s backside in the fallout from the scandalous and increasingly farcical proscription of Palestine Action as a “terrorist organisation”.
Whatever evidence the state had, there was the mild inconvenience that a jury would likely mirror the views of ordinary people, and hold sympathy for the activists actions.
As such, the British state knew it could only get convictions if it managed to manipulate what could be heard in the court, and the narrative being presented outside of the court.
As an example, various leading politicians frequently made incendiary statements claiming that the activists had “broken the back of a brave police officer with a sledgehammer”, in an attempt to sway public opinion away from sympathy.
Although not publicly confirmed, it has been suggested that it was agreed by the trial judge in legal arguments that these statements would possibly influence the jury, and therefore meet the definition of contempt of court.
But unsurprisingly, we aren’t expecting to see Home Secretary Yvette Cooper or Tory leader Kemi Badenoch alongside Menon in the dock anytime soon!
Despite the state now managing to obtain some ‘guilty’ verdicts to charges of criminal damage at a retrial, this has only been managed through legal shenanigans, withheld evidence, and orders to further gag legal representatives.
Large amounts of CCTV and body camera footage of the events were lost, coincidentally matching the time of disputed events.
Evidence from factory security guards was also shown to be contradictory – such as one claiming to have seen an activist wielding a sledgehammer, while CCTV showed it to be their own colleague!
Finally, it was also shown that counter-terrorism police had regularly spoken with Elbit Systems about building a successful criminal case, including discussing what arguments the activists’ defence barristers may raise. So much for the police acting as a neutral body!
The trial judge also made an order preventing any reference to the genocide in Gaza, the role of Elbit, or any attempt at informing the jury of their rights.
Despite this making the actual presentation of a defence case impossible, Menon bravely chose to make his case.
🚨BREAKING — The Court of Appeal has ruled that Mr Justice Johnson had no jurisdiction to refer Palestine Action barrister Rajiv Menon KC for contempt of court proceedings.
These proceedings were brought against Menon after he reminded a jury earlier this year of its absolute… pic.twitter.com/TlwnOEzYFV
— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) May 12, 2026
The Metropolitan Police also joined the circus at the retrial. A number of campaigners held signs explaining the rights of jurors and stood outside of the court. Such an act was deemed to be perfectly legal just two years ago.
Not to be inconvenienced by such matters, the Met issued a section 14 order, with the condition that action could only take place over a mile from the court. They then proceeded to arrest anyone with a placard in the vicinity of the court for breaching the order!
Solidarity
It is fair to say that the proscription of Palestine Action has massively backfired for the British state. Instead of making Starmer’s government look strong, it looks impotent; and instead of putting the Palestine movement back in a box, it is causing ever greater outrage against these flagrant attacks.
Many legal professionals have expressed shock at the case against Menon. His chambers have come out in solidarity, along with a number of other individual barristers and solicitors.
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Many have also correctly identified this as an attempt by the government – and the British state as a whole – to intimidate legal professionals, as an extension to the intimidation of the Palestine movement.
For a seemingly very small act of defiance, the proceedings against Menon provide further evidence of the erosion of civil liberties by the British state, alongside the attempts by the Starmer government to significantly limit the right to trial by jury.
We say: solidarity with Rajiv Menon KC! The labour and Palestine movements must mobilise in defence of our basic democratic rights! The real criminals are in Whitehall!
University spying scandal: Who are the real terrorists?
Harsh Singh, UCL
A report has recently found that 12 UK universities have paid security firm Horus – run by former military intelligence officials – £440,000 since 2022, to spy on pro-Palestine students through their actions online and social media.
This comes as no surprise, given the repression many of these universities have delivered on campus – by silencing, policing and arresting their own students, including RCP members.
Both Imperial College London and the University of Sheffield came forward, with the excuse that they needed to prepare for large upcoming protests and “potential security risks” – claiming this was by no means to monitor or restrict freedom of speech.
However, these statements are contradictory, as all of these universities have at some point called the police when protesters stood at their gates, including on our own comrade Jamie at UCL!
Such repression is fitting for institutions that have received £2.5 billion over the past eight years from the military-industrial complex – gold soaked in Palestinian blood.
The director of Horus’ parent company said that the rising size and frequency of pro-Gaza demonstrations are a result of a “Russian/Iranian orchestrated media campaign”, and that non-British protesters who “misbehave” should be deported from the UK.
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At UCL meanwhile, Provost Michael Spence went on record to celebrate the 2024 encampments as a “moment of great debate and discussion” – despite repressing them during the movement and attacking them in the media!
The university bosses’ vile hypocrisy regarding freedom of thought and discussion is driven by pressure not only from the government, but the vast amount of donors and companies to which they have opened their doors.
Since the 2008 financial crisis – with a £250 million cut to university endowments from the government – educational institutions have been driven to the market for funding, whilst simultaneously forcing them to ramp up international student intake.
University priorities are therefore set by the highest bidder; while departments like humanities face mass closures nationwide, abandoning staff and students.
Capitalism is killing education – the foundation of the future generations. For a fully-funded, high-quality, free education for all, we need to kill the capitalist system – and expropriate the parasitic, warmongering billionaire class that terrorises the world!
