[News] Palestine Action is legalizing the smashing of Israeli arms factories

[Anti-Imperialist News]

electronicintifada.net
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/palestine-action-legalizing-smashing-israeli-arms-factories>
Palestine
Action is legalizing the smashing of Israeli arms factories
January 28, 2022
------------------------------
[image: Activists on a rooftop smash windows]

Activists smashed up an Israeli arms factory in the UK on Monday.
Palestine Action

For the second time within a week, Palestine Action
<https://electronicintifada.net/tags/palestine-action> has won a major
legal victory <https://www.palestineaction.org/dsei-dropped-charges/>.

UK government prosecutors dropped criminal charges against a member of the
direct action group, only one day before trial. Palestine Action campaigns
against Israeli drone giant Elbit
<https://electronicintifada.net/tags/elbit>, which has nine remaining
factories and offices in the UK.

Romford Magistrates Court in East London had been set to hear the case on
Thursday.

But prosecutors dropped the case, conceding that there had been no
“realistic prospect of conviction.”

Brick by brick, wall by wall, Elbit’s factories are gonna fall. If you
demolish Palestinian homes, we’ll demolish your weapons factories.
#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/gi2vTaPjLo <https://t.co/gi2vTaPjLo>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485654837840822273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

This marks the third major legal victory for the campaigners since
December, when the group’s first ever trial ended in complete acquittal
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/not-guilty-palestine-action-acquitted-first-trial>.


The magistrate was convinced by the three activists’ argument that the
damage they had caused to Elbit’s Shenstone factory near Birmingham was
proportionate in order to prevent a greater crime in Palestine. He found
all three not guilty.

And earlier this month, Palestine Action succeeded in forcing Elbit
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israels-elbit-sells-uk-arms-factory-targeted-activists>
to sell one of its 10 UK factories. Nine remain.

Israel’s drone engines destroyed today by Palestine Action 🔨🧯
#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/Urvp0fD8sH <https://t.co/Urvp0fD8sH>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485763072333692929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

In their second major legal win, last week three more Palestine Action
campaigners had their charges dropped
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/second-court-victory-palestine-action>
on the eve of trial at Birmingham Magistrates Court.

No wonder the Crown Prosecution Service this week decided that there was an
unrealistic prospect of conviction against Palestine Action in London too.

The decision is even more extraordinary considering the events that had
transpired in Shenstone on Monday this week.

Ladders can be used for climbing up AND knocking down... 😉🪜#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/NpKZ4HS8Pm <https://t.co/NpKZ4HS8Pm>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485623795440308224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

On that day, Palestine Action chose to press its advantage and return to
the same factory in Shenstone which was the focus of its first two legal
victories.

Activists then spent hours causing what looked like thousands of dollars
worth of damage to the UAV Engines factory – an Elbit subsidiary which
makes parts for its killer drones.

They smashed parts of the factory roof, and demolished some of the building
brick by brick. The group tweeted out some astonishing videos and photos
throughout the day.

Time to kick Elbit into the gutters. Join Palestine Action today:
https://t.co/1q0pkJxH5I #ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/5rwztBAqAz <https://t.co/5rwztBAqAz>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485665843400921098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Palestine Action - sounding the alarm on Elbit’s brutal business.
#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/C5rS2gnrNz <https://t.co/C5rS2gnrNz>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485692191192268803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The activists made such large holes in the roof that they were able to
throw in objects causing more damage inside the building to what appeared
to be drone engines.

Six activists were arrested Monday afternoon and released on bail the same
evening. They have yet to be charged.

BREAKING: Palestine Actionists arrested with their mission accomplished;
Israel's weapons factory shattered from inside and out #ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/Ih4W3rZQaJ <https://t.co/Ih4W3rZQaJ>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485676953566908429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The Palestine Action heroes who earlier today derailed an Israeli arms
factory in Shenstone have all been released from custody hours later.
#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>!
pic.twitter.com/nXe0TShLjB <https://t.co/nXe0TShLjB>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 24, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485739838599057408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

In video statements the next day, the activists explained why they had
taken direct action against the killer drone parts factory. “A victory for
the Intifada is a victory for humanity,” said one
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1486036388998963214>.

“A victory for the Intifada is a victory for humanity” One activist saying
it like it is - practicing internationalism, solidarity and humanity means
taking action. Yesterday they did exactly that and #ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>!
pic.twitter.com/YWvRE5H1Sn <https://t.co/YWvRE5H1Sn>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 25, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1486036388998963214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

One of our brilliant activists who #ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> in
Shenstone yesterday - find out why they took action and why you should too:
pic.twitter.com/16LUkyT4Kw <https://t.co/16LUkyT4Kw>
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) January 25, 2022
<https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1485993956286640134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

WATCH: Dismantling a killing machine...piece by piece.

6 x @Pal_action <https://twitter.com/Pal_action?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
activists carried out a bold - & smashing - action at Shenstone, #Elbit
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/Elbit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>'s
subsidiary. Two drone engines were visible inside.

More here ➡️ https://palestine-action-dismantling-the-war-machine
#ShutElbitDown
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/nS8sY0Ykue <https://t.co/nS8sY0Ykue>
— Real Media (@RealMediaGB) January 27, 2022
<https://twitter.com/RealMediaGB/status/1486776018744463365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

The activist whose charges were dropped on Wednesday had last year
allegedly sprayed blood-red paint into the entrance of the Defence and
Security Equipment International arms fair, or DSEI.

“Once again, charges have been dropped,” Palestine Action said
<https://www.palestineaction.org/dsei-dropped-charges/> on Friday. “It is
the war criminals inside the arms fair that should be arrested and tried –
not the brave individuals taking action to expose them.”

Elbit had been one of the many arms firms exhibiting at the trade fair.

Meanwhile, at Elbit’s smashed Shenstone factory on Monday, one of the
activists’ signs read: “One down, nine to go.”
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