A PROTESTER accused of causing more than £500,000 in criminal damage at the firm which supplied the cladding for Grenfell Tower has been found not guilty.

US-owned company Arconic supplied the cladding held responsible for spreading the Grenfell Tower blaze which killed 72 people on June 14 2017.

The company also manufactures components and materials for Boeing Apache helicopters and Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets supplied to Israel.

On the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, activists from Palestine Action occupied the roof of Arconic’s factory at Kitt’s Green, near Birmingham.

Sohail Suliman, 21, was charged with causing criminal damage and appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Palestine Action said that the jury had to decide “whether the action taken which cost Arconic over £500,000 was done to protect property in Palestine and/or in necessity to save lives.” 

The not guilty decision was unanimous.

Palestine Action said that the local community had mobilised in support of the action and that firefighters refused to help police remove the protesters from the roof.

The group described the verdict as “a monumental victory not only for a principled action, but for the campaign against companies who profit from massacring people in Palestine and Grenfell.

“The verdict strongly suggests that the public agree it is Arconic who is guilty for crimes in Palestine and Grenfell, not those who take action against them.”

Palestine Action is also targeting the factories of Israeli-owned arms manufacturer Elbit which supplies military drones to Israel.