The Observer published a detailed report by John Simpson, Local Affairs Editor, highlighting the case of Zoe Roger, a young activist imprisoned for her involvement in actions linked to the group Palestine Action, which the British government formally banned last month.
According to the report, Roger was never charged with committing any act of terrorism. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old spent a full year inside Bronzefield Prison in Surrey — one of the UK’s highest-security prisons.
She was arrested during a raid carried out by Palestine Action on an Elbit Systems weapons facility in Filton, near Bristol, in August of last year. Elbit, the Israeli arms manufacturer, is a primary supplier of weaponry used in the occupation’s assaults on Gaza.
“My Daughter Is Not a Terrorist”
Her mother, Claire Hinchcliffe, told the newspaper:
“My daughter is not a terrorist.”
She explained that her daughter and 23 others — collectively known as the Filton 24 — were instead charged with violent disorder, criminal damage, and burglary resulting in property damage.
At the time of Zoe’s arrest, Palestine Action had not yet been banned, and the movement was only later designated as a “terrorist organisation” under the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000. Since the ban came into force on July 5, more than 700 people have been arrested across Britain solely for allegedly expressing support for the group.
Autism, Youth, and Denied Bail
Described as shy and living with autism, Roger is among twenty defendants in this case who were denied bail despite pleading not guilty.
Her mother recalled how counter-terrorism police interrogated Zoe for five consecutive days:
“It was terrifying. They unleashed the full weight of counter-terrorism forces against her and the others.”
The Crown Prosecution Service stated its intention to prove that the alleged crimes had a “terrorist connection.” Under a controversial 2020 amendment to terrorism legislation — introduced following two knife attacks in London — any link to “terrorism” can be treated as an aggravating factor, giving judges grounds to issue harsher sentences.
The Government’s Political Motives
Observers believe that these allegations formed a cornerstone of the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action, while allowing ministers to insist the ban was not a blanket attack on the broader right to protest. Yet the move coincided with growing public outrage in Britain over Israel’s war crimes and the genocide in Gaza.
The allegations included claims — still unproven — of violence against individuals. In the Filton case, prosecutors alleged that activists used a prison van to ram a loading bay at the Elbit factory.
One co-defendant, Samuel Corner, 23, faces charges of causing grievous bodily harm and two further charges of actual bodily harm against police officers. These accusations remain the only significant allegations of violence among 356 direct-action cases carried out by Palestine Action since its founding in 2020. Corner denies all charges.
A Family’s Anguish
Zoe’s mother accused the Home Office of attempting to mislead the public by portraying her daughter and the other activists as violent extremists.
She recalled the day police arrived at her door in Southgate, North London:
“There were four officers at my doorstep early in the morning. They told me she had been arrested in Bristol. I asked when I could speak to her, and they said usually not for 24 hours.”
But in reality, Zoe’s mother did not see her daughter for five days — and only then behind two panes of security glass:
“It was heartbreaking. She was seated between two other women, both looking devastated. But Zoe looked strong. She was holding their hands.”
Her grandparents even offered a substantial sum of money to secure bail, but the court refused. Hinchcliffe described the devastating moment the judge announced his refusal:
“Within seconds they were taking her away, and it felt like she was being torn from me.”
Nearly two weeks later, mother and daughter were finally able to speak by phone.
“I felt relief that she sounded okay, but also anger — why was she in prison at all? Those first few weeks I was in complete shock.”
A Case That Exposes Britain’s Repression
The case of Zoe Roger illustrates how Britain’s new counter-terrorism measures are being used to silence Palestine solidarity activists. By branding peaceful direct action as “terrorism,” the government has criminalised protest, distorted justice, and sought to delegitimise opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The tragedy of this 21-year-old student reveals the wider reality: while Israeli bombs tear through Gaza’s children, Britain has chosen to imprison its youth for daring to protest against it.
