[News] Palestine Action Strikes Again: Elbit-Ferranti Oldham Shut Down
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Mon Jun 21 10:35:20 EDT 2021
https://palestineaction.org/oldham-again/
Palestine Action Strikes Again: Elbit-Ferranti Oldham Shut Down
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*PRESS RELEASE*
7ea22589-615d-48ca-a474-e67a18c2bb29.jpg*
*
*21/06/21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
* Activists have stormed and occupied the site of Elbit Ferranti in
Oldham, Greater Manchester.
* Action follows a series of disruptions and actions taken against
Elbit Systems, their suppliers, and landlords, in a bid to end
Israel’s kill chain in the UK. Palestine Action have taken action 7
times in the past month alone, shutting down factories and sites
across the UK.
* During escalation of violence in Gaza and occupied Palestine, police
were stationed outside of Elbit Ferranti in Oldham, offering
round-the-clock protection to prevent disruption to Ferranti’s
manufacture of weapons technology and components for the Israeli
military.
* Despite increased security and rapid police response, Palestine
Action have occupied and shut down the site once again, using direct
action to successfully stem the flow of weapons which would
otherwise be used for war crimes.
At 6:30am this morning, activists stormed and occupied the site of Elbit
Ferranti in Oldham, evading a heavy security presence and rapid police
response, to successfully shut down the factory. The activists have
scaled the roof, chained the gates shut, and have covered the building
in blood-red paint. In occupying the site and preventing operations,
activists are disrupting the flow of arms and military technology to
Israel, where these would be used to commit war crimes against the
Palestinian people.
The site, at Cairo House, Greenacres Road, Oldham, Greater Manchester,
is the latest to be targetted in a number of successful actions taken by
Palestine Action against Elbit Systems, their subsidiaries, landlords,
and partners. The group has taken action at 7 sites in the UK in the
past month alone – with most of these actions being multiple days-long
occupations of factories.
Since the beginning of increased Israeli military operations against the
people of Gaza, starting in the wake of waves of violence in Jerusalem
in May 2021, police were seen stationed at Elbit Ferranti and other
Elbit factories, offering round-the-clock protection for the manufacture
of Israel’s arms. Elbit and the police are scared – aware of the growing
movement of people who recognise the power of direct action, understand
the role that Elbit weaponry plays in Israel’s war crimes, and want
Elbit out of our communities. Despite the police operating as Elbit’s
private bodyguards, Palestine Action have once again shut down Elbit
Ferranti – and will continue to do so until all Elbit sites are shut
down for good.
A Palestine Action spokesperson has said:
/“This takeover of Elbit Ferranti is our latest action in a series of
disruptions to Israel’s arms trade, and we’re only just getting started.
Despite an increase in security, a rapid police response and specially
designated patrols, activists are occupying Elbit’s lethal arms factory
in Oldham. Once again, we have brought Israel’s arms production in the
UK to a grinding halt./
/When our government facilitates Israel’s apartheid regime, and allows
corporations to commit murder, it is our duty to take action. Palestine
Action continues to build a mass direct action movement and expose
Elbit’s role in Israel’s crimes. The campaign will continue until Elbit
Ferranti and all other Elbit sites in the UK are shut down for good./
/This past week has seen the shelling of Gaza resume. Previous bombing
operations against Gaza have been used as an opportunity for Elbit and
other arms manufacturers to ‘field-test’ their weapons on Palestinians.
Its up to us to halt the production of these weapons which are ‘tested’
on Palestinians and then exported to repressive regimes globally.”/
The Elbit Ferranti site in Oldham is used for the manufacture of
specialist military products and technology – including the /SkEye/
persistent surveillance system for Elbit’s /Hermes/ /450/ and /900/
drones, both of which have been used extensively in successive Israeli
bombardments of Gaza. Ferranti advertise the manufacture of the
/SpectroXR /ultra-long range imaging system at the Oldham site – which
is again used in /Hermes /drones. The site is also used in the
manufacture of /IronVision/ helmets for use in battle tans such as the
/Carmel/, which has been designed specifically for operations in densely
built, urban areas (Gaza).
*ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS*
If you would like any further information on this action or on Palestine
action, please contact media at palestineaction.org or our press line at
07840150925
For rolling updates of ongoing actions please check the Palestine Action
Twitter account <https://twitter.com/Pal_action>
*Palestine Action*
Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals
formed with the mandate of taking direct action against Elbit Systems’
UK locations at grassroots level, calling for them all to be shut down
and for the British government to end its complicity in Israeli
apartheid.Previous action at the Oldham Ferranti site, undertaken
collaboratively with XR
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/palestine-action-and-extinction-rebellion-activists-shut-down-israeli-arms-factory/
Some previous Palestine Action occupations and
actions:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-57184318https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-uk-leicester-activists-shut-down-arms-factory
<https://realmedia.press/palestine-action-in-leicester/>https://palestineaction.org/tamworth-occupied/
https://realmedia.press/palestine-action-occupy-elbit-again/
*Elbit Systems*Information on the suffering inflicted by Elbit’s drones,
including the /Hermes/:
https://corporatewatch.org/elbit-systems-company-profile-2/
Role of Elbit drone in killing of four children paying on Gaza beach in
2014:
https://theintercept.com/2018/08/11/israel-palestine-drone-strike-operation-protective-edge/
UK Ministry of Defence signs £102 million contract with Elbit Systems UK
for “sensor-to-shoot” system:
https://www.army-technology.com/news/uk-mod-orders-elbit-detect-and-destroy-system/
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