Early on Wednesday 8 May, Palestine Action targeted multiple arms manufacturers – smashing a lorry into one Elbit-owned site to shut down operations, and blockading another. It was, of course, over Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Palestine Action: a proportionate action in the face of genocide
Several activists from Palestine Action targeted Elbit’s Leicester drone factory, UAV Tactical Systems.
One contingent smashed through the fence and into the weapons manufacturer using an article lorry, which two activists climbed on top off:
Simultaneously, another contingent scaled the building and occupied the roof of the Israeli drone maker:
Red paint has been sprayed across the building to symbolise the company’s involvement in spilling Palestinian blood:
BREAKING: Activists from Palestine Action are on top of a HGV lorry they smashed into Elbit’s Israeli drone factory in Leicester.
Mobilise in support at UAV Tactical Systems, Unit F Meridian East, LE19 1WZ pic.twitter.com/zjmxbLW3VP
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 8, 2024
Those on the roof have used tools to break through the roof and expose the contents inside the murder factory:
Actionists smash through the roof to expose the contents inside Leicester’s Israeli drone factory #ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/BSXEDaCDId
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 8, 2024
They then proceeded to damage the arms-making kit inside:
Actionists rip items off the roof of Leicester’s Israeli weapons factory and use them to damage the drones inside #ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/5Oc4Zlqpab
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 8, 2024
Elbit: hiding it’s complicity
UAV Tactical Systems is majority owned by Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems — who manufacture 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet amongst other lethal arms. Despite the company’s previous attempts to obscure their relationship with Israel, previous export licenses reveal drone technologies are regularly exported from the factory to the apartheid state.
The Elbit and UAV Tactical Systems business model is based on, firstly, facilitating Israel’s war crimes including genocide and apartheid; in doing so, Elbit develop their technologies through ‘battle-testing’ on Palestinians, before repackaging and selling on products used to fuel violence abroad.
UAV Tactical Systems’ flagship drone, the Watchkeeper, has been used by the British military in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the English Channel – but is itself modelled on the notorious and deadly Hermes 450 drone, after the latter was ‘tested’ on Palestinians.
Israel’s genocide happening in real time
Elbit’s drones are regularly used by the Israeli military during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. According to the UN, since 7 October the Israeli military has killed over 34,735 Palestinians, injured over 78,000 and destroyed over 70,000 housing units.
Previous bombardments forced over one million Palestinians to flee to Rafah in Gaza. Now, the Israeli military is now invading this area – the only supposed ‘safe zone’ left in Gaza.
A week ago the US paused a shipment of munitions to Israel over the then impending Rafah invasion. Yet, the UK government has failed to impose a two way arms embargo and continues to allow Elbit Systems to operate in this country.
Palestine Action: if politicians won’t act, we will
Simultaneously, Palestine Action supporters also blockaded arms manufacturer Leonardo in Edinburgh:
BREAKING: Palestine Action blockade the entrance into Leonardo's Edinburgh factory, disrupting the producers of laser targeting systems for Israel's F-35 fighter jets! https://t.co/U8oGGSAP21
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 8, 2024
The government’s ‘political violence and disruption’ advisor, snivelling former Labour MP John Woodcock (now a ‘lord’), immediately jumped onto Palestine Action’s operations. But the group quickly shut him down:
Terrorising Palestinians can never be justified. When politicians like you make us all complicit in genocide, it's up to the people to take direct action. We will never take orders from criminal zionists like you. https://t.co/7DUzzawvti
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 8, 2024
Ahead of the action, one of the Palestine Action activists said:
This country is a signatory to the Genocide convention. These laws are not to be discounted just because it’s politically expedient. They were set up for a reason and I cannot accept that the country I was born in and have lived in all my life is deciding to flout those laws.
Another said:
If the government aren’t going to act, it is my personal, moral and legal right to take direct action.
Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action
