Security guard in Palestine Action case tells court he ‘felt like Indiana Jones’

On Friday, a security guard in a Palestine Action trial testified he felt like "Indiana Jones" during a confrontation with activists involved in a raid on an Israeli-owned arms factory near Bristol in 2024. Five defendants – Qesser Zuhrah, 21, Zahra Farooque, 26, Kamran Ahmed, 29, Heba Muraisi, 31, and Liam Mullany, 34 – are facing charges of criminal damage and violent disorder.

Prosecutors claim the defendants, known as the "black team," wore black jumpsuits and threatened security guards to allow a "red team" to break into the factory in a prison van. The defendants deny the charges. During the trial, security guard Angelo Volante recounted the incident, describing feeling a "slightly amusing experience" and likening himself to the famous adventurer.

When questioned about the whip used in the confrontation, which was purchased from a sex shop, Volante maintained that he was "making the best of what I had in front of me." The prosecutor noted that Volante had trained in martial arts, questioning whether this made the situation a "combat game." Volante confirmed he had maintained a defensive position and that Shaw, a colleague, tackled one of the activists to the ground after he attempted to escape.

The prosecutor pointed out that Volante's statement described the activists as approaching as a group, but he responded that he was confident he saw blows to their bodies. The defendant maintained his confidence in his testimony.