“We stand with the Filton defendants” – trade union leaders address Woolwich rally

October 9, 2026

“We stand with the Filton defendants” – trade union leaders address Woolwich rally

A rally of trade unionists and activists outside Woolwich Crown Court on Friday 9 October organised in solidarity with defendants on trial as part of the Filton cases heard speeches and statements from the leaders of three major unions condemning the use of terrorism laws to criminalise direct action against arms companies supplying weapons to the Israeli army. 

Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the RMT union, told the protest: 

“I’m here with members of our London Transport Council because my union, the RMT, is becoming increasingly concerned about the roll-back of civil liberties in Britain. Many human rights organisations have pointed to the fact that the anti-terrorism legislation is so broad, that it is left wide open to misuse, and they have specifically – rightly in my view – cited the Filton cases as an example. 

In recent years, we’ve seen the right to strike by railway workers being threatened, and we have also seen moves to do away with the right to a jury trial. This is against the backdrop of a deepening authoritarian turn, where the right to protest, the right to dissent is being criminalised in this country. That is a concern for every citizen, for every trade unionist, and anyone who believes in freedom.” 

The rally heard a message from Ian Hodson, national president of the bakers and food workers’ union BFAWU who said: 

“Trade unionists know that rights are never handed down from above. They have been won because ordinary people were prepared to stand together, organise and challenge injustice. The right to protest is part of that history and we cannot allow it to be stripped away because the Government finds a particular cause inconvenient or uncomfortable.

What is happening here goes far beyond Palestine Action. It is about the kind of society we want to live in and whether people will still have the freedom to speak out against injustice, war and the actions of those in power.

Solidarity cannot be conditional on whether something is popular with politicians or the media. It matters most when people are under attack.

The trade union movement must continue to stand against the criminalisation of protest, against the use of terrorism legislation to silence political opposition and against any attempt to frighten people away from standing up for what they believe is right.

To everyone facing these prosecutions, and to their families, friends and supporters, you are not standing alone.” 

Jo Grady, General Secretary of the UCU union which represents university and college workers, also sent a message to the Filton Defence Campaign to be read out at the rally. She said: 

“UCU sends solidarity to the Filton defendants and to everyone standing together today in defence of the right to protest. Our members have been impacted by measures aimed at silencing or punishing those who speak out in solidarity with Palestine.

The right to protest, to organise and to speak out against injustice is a fundamental democratic freedom, won through generations of struggle by trade unionists and working people. UCU stands with the Filton defendants, with trade unionists affected by the crackdown on protest, and with everyone defending the right to organise, protest and dissent.” 

Mandy Brown spoke on behalf of London Region UCU, which passed a motion in solidarity with the Filton Defendants and brought its banner to the protest outside the court. She said:

The most important thing that unions do is show solidarity. We need to show that the people facing repression, the people who are standing up against genocide and our government’s complicity, are part of our movement. Those people who are facing extended time in prison beyond the legal limit that you are allowed to be held on remand without a trial, who are being branded as terrorists, they are part of our movement. We stand with them.

Phil Rowan, political officer for London Transport Regional Committee of the RMT said:

I could stand here and say that History will absolve the Filton 25 as it has absolved the suffragettes, the African National Congress and others, but I don’t think we need to wait for History. I think that the overwhelming mood in public opinion in this country, across Europe and across the world, is that direct action against the genocide in Palestine is absolutely necessary, and we applaud those people who have undertaken it.

The scale of support for Palestine could be seen in other protests and mass movements, he added:

What we are seeing now in Europe over the last couple of weeks, with massive protests in France and Spain and other countries, while in Ireland we’ve thousands of people blocking the Garvaghy Road to stop a sectarian march going down it. The one thing that all these people have in common, is that on every protest you’ll see the Palestine flag flying. The Palestine flag has helped to politicise the young people in all these countries.

The rally at the court was supported by the following trade union branches: London Region UCU, London Transport Regional Council RMT, London Transport RMT Black Members Solidarity Committee, Southwark Trades Council, Greenwich and Bexley Trades Council, Leeds, York and Wakefield Unite Community. 

What you can do:

• Pass a motion in your union branch and invite a representative from the Filton Defence Campaign to speak – find out more here