Pro-Palestine activists in new factory protest
THREE GROUP MEMBERS CHAIN THEMSELVES TO GATES OF PREMISES
ACTIVISTS from Palestine Action chained themselves to the gates of an Israeli-owned “drones factory” as part of an ongoing protest against the company.
Three members of the group chained themselves to the gates of UAV Tactical Systems, on the Meridian Business Park, on the outskirts of Leicester, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The group have previously protested at the same factory, taking to the roof for six days back in May after a month of escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.
The factory, which is believed to make military-standard drones, is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israeli-based defence company which supplies UAVs, artillery and both unmanned turrets and sights for armoured vehicles.
Police were called to the site at 4.20am to investigate reports of a protest at the factory’s gates.
UAV Tactical Systems and Elbit Systems have increased their security at the site, according to Palestine Action, resulting in them wanting to cause disruption by blocking the route out of, and into, the factory.
In a statement, the activists said: “Palestine Action have returned to Elbit System’s drone factory in Braunstone Town and have once again disrupted the production of killer drones used for repressive purposes by Israeli forces.
“The factory – ran by Elbit-Thales joint venture UAV Tactical Systems has been blockaded by Palestine Action activists. Two activists are in a lock-on and one activist has been arrested, having D-locked their body to gates.
“Following the previous Palestine Action occupation of Elbit’s UAV factory in Leicester - from May 19 to 25 - Elbit have invested heavily in increased security, as they have done across all of their UK sites.
“Despite this, activists have succeeded once again in using direct action to disrupt the operations and harm the profits of Israel’s largest private arms manufacturer.”
The three protesters were all removed from the gates and arrested by 9am and were replaced by a peaceful protest for a short time after that. One Palestine Action supporter, who did not want to be named, said: “We’re here because four Palestinian teenage men have been killed by the Israeli army [in clashes] in the past 20 hours.
“We had some of our supporters – three men aged from 19 to 60 from all over the country – do a ‘lock on.’ They attached themselves to a heavy concrete block, which their hands lock into.
“Some of the bosses had to come out and some lorries weren’t able to get into the site for a while, so it disrupted things a bit. But this is mainly about highlighting what is happening in Palestine.”
A police spokesperson confirmed three people were arrested and remained in custody yesterday.
They said: “At 4.20am officers received a report that protestors had chained themselves to the gates of a building at Meridian Business Park.
“Two men, aged 28 and 58, of Leicester, and a 19-year-old man from Burton-on-Trent were arrested for aggravated trespass. Further protestors arrived and officers facilitated a brief peaceful protest outside the building before the protestors left.”
An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson said: “Elbit Systems UK and its UK-based subsidiary companies are proud to manufacture and supply equipment and technology that supports our UK armed forces – work which significantly contributes to creating and sustaining local jobs and supports the UK economy.”