Scientists Rebellion co-founder, and Theoretical Physicist, Mike Lynch-White was released from prison yesterday, after serving 294 days for damaging a drone part facility, related to Elbit, one of the largest manufacturers of weapons for Israel. Mike will be on a detention scheme, and so will probably have an ankle tag, and other restrictions, but he’s released from prison. 

   Mike’s action, covered by several outlets, was groundbreaking because he’d already built up a good many cases of civil disobedience for the climate, which seemed to be a precedence for UK to come down heavily, handing him one of the biggest sentences in history (over 2 years). 

   Mike became passionate about Palestine after visiting in 2014, during a traveling trip. He did not originally expect to visit Palestine, but was convinced by another traveler that it was an experience like no other. 

   Mike Lynch-White, “There were the check points. So many of them. Even after experiencing prison in the UK, the most dehumanising experience I have ever had was going through what resembles a cattle grate, being squeezed by fencing either side, into a single file, up to a check point manned by Israeli soldiers watching from behind Perspex.”

   After that experience, in Mike’s words, ““I remember thinking to myself I must get involved when I get back [home]. I can’t see all of this, and just tell myself this is a bad place and move on.”

   Mike joined Palestinian groups, and participated in rallies when he returned to the UK.

   In related news, the manufacturer, Elbit's main recruiters dropped Israel as a client. Campaigners against Elbit sponsors, led by Pal Action, the group that organized Mike’s Palestinian, anti-war, anti-genocide action are claiming victory.

   Scientists Rebellion is an affinity group of Extinction Rebellion, and one of several scientist based affinity groups for XR. This week, the Scientist Rebellion has committed many actions, including slow marching arrests and wheat pasting, around the lack of urgency at the COP 28 Summit. These actions took place in France, Peru, Germany, Portugal, Norway, and Sweden