Victory for Palestine Action as Elbit’s landlords SELL its drone factory

Palestine Action has claimed another victory in the fight against Israel’s weapons supply chain – as the landlord of Elbit System’s drone factory, LondonMetric, has sold up.

LondonMetric: dumping Elbit Systems

LondonMetric, the landlords of Elbit’s ‘UAV Tactical Systems’ drone factory, has sold the site on after a targeted direct action campaign calling on them to cut ties with Israel’s largest weapons company.

After struggling to find a buyer, LondonMetric have now relinquished their interest in Elbit Systems, despite what it claims is a strong commercial potential of the site. Business at ‘UAV Tactical Systems’ has been regularly disrupted and prevented due to its production of Israeli military drones.

The result comes after concerted efforts by Palestine Action, joined by the Youth Front for Palestine (YFFP), against the offices and premises of LondonMetric, a FTSE 100-listed company with a property portfolio worth £6billion. To raise the costs of their doing business with Elbit, direct action activists smashed windows, painted premises blood-red, and blockaded the entry to their offices. YFFP have crashed LondonMetric’s offices and staged demonstrations outside, to condemn their profiteering from genocide.

The estate agents for the U-TacS site readily admit the difficulties of sale due to “political activity at the property“, which led to multiple top-bidders pulling out, inevitably leading to a cut-price sale in order for LondonMetric to cut ties.

After an initial six-day occupation of the U-TacS site in May 2021, actions have escalated at the Israeli murder drone factory, which has been subjected to regular raids, blockades, and more occupations. These actions have sought to, and succeeded in, preventing the manufacture and export of military drones used to murder Palestinians.

The resultant cutting of ties between tenant and landlord of the ‘U-TacS’ site demonstrates the continued successes of an expansive strategy of direct action.

Palestine Action: direct action works

By economically disrupting those who work with or invest in Elbit Systems, like LondonMetric, Palestine Action are making it an unattractive business prospect to partner with Israel’s weapons industry.

The outcome of the campaign mirrors that of the previous campaign against Fisher German, former landlords of Elbit’s UAV Engines site in Shenstone, who wrote to Palestine Action in December 2023 to confirm that they had cut ties with their former client.

A Palestine Action spokesperson has said:

Alongside LondonMetric, other complicit companies including Elbit’s landlords, suppliers, and hauliers have all been forced to cut ties. ​​​​​​​All those continuing to do business with Elbit should know: facilitating Israel’s weapons production will invite resistance against complicity in genocide.

Featured image via Palestine Action