On Monday 18 November, two members of the Palestine Action Thales Five were released from prison in Scotland, having been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in August. They will serve the remainder of their sentences in the community.
Palestine Action Thales activists: free at last
The two women were part of a Palestine Action team who, in June 2022, occupied the Thales weapons factory in Govan, Glasgow, shutting it down, and costing the French arms giant more than £1 million.
This was Palestine Action’s debut action in Scotland. The action at Thales sought to disrupt the French arms giant’s operations, targeting the factory due to Thales’ considerable links with Israel’s largest arms firm, Elbit Systems, along with its direct supplies to the Israeli military during an ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Thales is one of the world’s biggest weapons manufacturers, producing missile systems, armoured vehicles, and drones, as well as working in partnership with Elbit Systems, Israel’s own largest weapons firm.
While the two former prisoners are still subject to restrictions, including having to wear an electronic tag, despite Israeli interference in Scotland’s judicial system they have been freed after three months behind bars.
Palestine Action said it was overjoyed to see the release of the two women, including life-long activist Eva Simmons, and it says it retains hope that the three remaining Thales 5 prisoners will be released soon.
The fight continues
They include Stuart Bretherton and Calum Lacy, who recently challenged their imprisonment in court, as well as Sumaya Javaid. As the Canary previously reported, Bretherton and Lacy were refused their appeal for immediate release from HMP Barlinnie. In a 5 November appeal hearing at Edinburgh’s High Court of Justiciary, two judges reduced their 12 months sentences to 10 months.
In total, there are now 14 Palestine Action prisoners in Britain, with five more globally, all having taken direct action in response to Western complicity in Israel’s Genocide, occupation, and Apartheid in Palestine.
A Palestine Action spokesperson said:
We are pleased to see the release of these two brave women, who with our other comrades, opened the Scottish front against the weapons manufacturers who enable Israeli Genocide. While the British government actively assists in the slaughter, and too many people turn a blind eye, they acted with courage, and remained steadfast. We welcome them back as heroes.
Featured image via Palestine Action
