**Activists Face Trial for Anti-Elbit Protest**
In August, 20-year-old Zoe Rogers was arrested near Bristol for participating in a protest against an Israeli defense company. She was held under the Terrorism Act, which allowed her to be kept in solitary confinement without making a phone call for seven days.
Zoe’s mother, Clare Rogers, said she was shocked and horrified by the experience. “The idea of my child being branded as a terrorist fills me with horror,” she said.
Zoe and several other activists were charged with crimes related to the protest, including criminal damage and violent disorder. They have been denied bail until November 2025.
Clare Rogers believes that counter-terrorism laws are being misused to intimidate and scare people who take direct action against companies like Elbit Systems. “It’s a way of silencing dissent,” she said.
The police claimed that there was still a link to terrorism, even though Zoe was not charged with the offense herself. Clare Rogers said this was a clear attempt to silence her daughter and other activists.
**A Mother’s Concern**
Clare Rogers is worried about the impact this has had on her daughter’s life. Zoe was supposed to start university in the fall, but now she can’t because of the ongoing court case. “She should be in university now,” Clare said.
Zoe’s friend Fatema Zainab was also arrested and charged, and is currently being held without bail. She believes that anti-terrorism laws are being used to keep people like her daughter locked up longer than necessary.
**Experts Weigh In**
Leading barrister Michael Mansfield KC says that these situations are a police operational decision. He believes that protest is a human right, not a crime.
Mansfield also pointed out that genocide occurs in many parts of the world and that occupation of Palestinian territories has been deemed illegal for 75 years.
“A court has recently stated that the occupation of Palestinian territories is also illegal for the last 75 years,” he said. “People are asking, ‘What’s happening? Where is the accountability for this?'”
**The Future Ahead**
Clare Rogers believes that people who take direct action to disrupt Israel’s arms industry will be seen as heroes in the future. She points out that the suffragettes were once considered violent and destructive, but now they are remembered as heroes.
Zoe and Fatema are scheduled to face trial in November 2025, where their fate will be decided.