Palestine rooftop protest trial

The trial of four pro-Palestine protesters, Julian Gao, Ruby Hamill, Daniel Jones, and Sayed Shah, took place at Bradford Crown Court following their arrest for a protest at the Teledyne factory in Shipley on April 2. The factory, which supplies electronics for the aerospace and defense sectors, was reportedly damaged to the tune of £571,383. The protesters were accused of using tools like sledgehammers and crowbars to cause this damage while expressing their opposition to the war in Gaza. During the trial, the jury was presented with CCTV and drone footage showing the group cutting through a security fence and vandalizing the factory's roof. Prosecutor Gerald Hendron highlighted that the factory's components were linked to weapons used by the British Army and NATO, as well as those sold to countries like Ukraine and Israel. Despite the evidence, the jury deliberated for about seven hours over two days but ultimately could not reach a verdict on any of the charges. Judge Sophie McKone discharged the jury after they indicated they could not come to a conclusion, thanking them for their service. The defendants, aged between 20 and 51, have been released on bail and are scheduled for a re-trial in February 2026. This case has drawn attention to the intersection of protest actions and the legal implications of causing damage to property, especially in the context of political activism. The outcome of the re-trial will be closely watched, as it may set a precedent for how similar protests are treated in the future. The defendants' actions and the subsequent legal proceedings highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding the conflict in Gaza and the role of civil disobedience in political expression.