[News] Palestine Action crashes gates of Israeli arms factory, disrupting combat drone production

Mon Oct 3 09:22:29 EDT 2022

*/"Day by day, Israel's impunity is crumbling, and with it, people are 
flocking to take direct action at every level to end the daily violence 
Palestinians face."/*

This morning, two vans made a morning delivery from Palestine Action to 
the the gates of the UAV Engines drones factory in Shenstone. One van 
has crashed into the gate, while the second is obstructing entry to the 
Israeli drone engine factory. The site is brought to a standstill. The 
UAV Engines factory is operated by Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms 
company.

Two Actionists were arrested in the process, demonstrating how the 
police value the property of war criminals over the lives of 
Palestinians. However, others remain immovable and in position to 
successfully hold the fort and #ShutElbitDown. Last week, an Actionist 
was convicted of obstructing the highway in Manchester, a decision that 
we will of course challenge. However, her actions were already 
victorious, given that Elbit no longer has a factory in Oldham. Her 
sacrifice has materially benefited Palestinians brutalised by weapons 
made in that factory. Direct action works. More and more people are 
taking direct action against Elbit, realising that silence in the face 
of injustice is complicity. The fight against Elbit continues, outside 
their factories and in the courts.

Today's well-planned action is the latest in a number of instances of 
direct action we have taken to prevent the mass killing that starts at 
the Shenstone factory. The site has been met with sustained direct 
action over the past two years, with dozens of activists stepping in to 
prevent the manufacture of drone engines and parts. These actions 
include blockades and lock-ons to prevent entrance to the site, along 
with occupations and the dismantling of the factory premises. Actionists 
at the site have been joined by Staffordshire residents, who have 
repeatedly turned out in support of the #ShutElbitDown campaign. 
Throughout all our actions, the support of locals, who stand with 
Palestinians and all those dismantling Israel's bloody settler-colonial 
project has been greatly appreciated.

UAV Engines specialises in the manufacture of engines and other parts 
used in combat drones such as the /Hermes/ 450 and 900, lynchpins in 
Israel's military operations. The Hermes 450 drone was used against 
Palestinians in July and last week, Israeli drones have been used 
against protesting Palestinians in Nablus last week. The factory also 
manufactures parts for the /Watchkeeper/, used for surveillance purposes 
by Britain and the EU, and the /Shadow/ drone, which forms part of the 
US military arsenal, notably used in the American invasion of Iraq and 
likely to be used in ongoing attacks on Yemen. Elbit's imperialist 
crimes are global and so there needs to be a global movement to shut 
them down, supporting people of colour in the Global South who have been 
fighting to shut them down since their inception.

Share on Twitter 
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/dSCQfi9FLISmU3ZE3bfPhh8p-oOzxxKhnBBi6y1zY6bK5XKvIibEnqNbLTj02uhdMOJcL82hOlAguCvbwOQG96wU-aFz8Sey7BGQG7nb_rGv3EPQyDKLZ_NR5NfslPWoOAuQJmtI8u3NYhvrynJYdXNarMfIL_J0QBftIoLvnyEAxVSCR98a4yz4SqbL2h_GMCaNIaLJagpGhSiic38rViFzbN2qK8wNFh2T6vj3TxqvqoZgzvX0CMAb2Oq1xLxffHFusizvy_dRBFj7ESXKd-kpT8qLkAmSb4I3M_ndCjZRozlB0yK5YsmgfHhNZ2La4DXflilmDFmU73b_Zlx-B2FEbHpoo-4ia_8quXvhP04r5H-9Rq6ezoWSlm-1h-3Cqf__NuwsRaYWI4TNSBDdHSlha66sAN5zgwHqUSLe5gTdVmZoB5ewfQpJPdbdoKk2oE5KtPfyJegpp1PtqAPcxA/3pz/-bCeVXtjTyyYPPOOE_j1iw/h0/58vB3rFJ5pA5FqOxHuUZ-WikEMVwQhH0lHl8Q1GrFhA> 

Press Release 
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDLmC2gFw3F3Rt87_H7ZtO19yw0tGULK6mqx8RNXllhL7FOldQivc0L8id5ddYo9T5um6ttusk1EfKlU4qIHx9DdeT-b5qwobsuP3Jvj_eW3jE4vJ2SczRdsXj-N2uAkmnyaXVxa8IDPSYvzK_blxUnJ-nfhYXzVsyZC6w6Lpox0MSXLQgCrXU23B0pPkL003QQbiMtwWtguSq3aZ7Y9nqGE50dk0M1i52QA6lh88ujigcOm_zEWW215gUEjbTVN5N0EwY44pw6_dTtrnzlV_wNgvHiREqdZXc-8-fXTRvJ3awaYSPm4B8JsVoWP8EceELneQcMckUe23KlETN4PxHKpYbeESYfdM20Z5F7PF49IIh3igOwHYKHwuyHNQERv4zDWF85geWpGeuDRqrfmZIibdpmODdt4scrql1YaNd7R_6V5-i-mIwAv61U5GdXiNGA/3pz/-bCeVXtjTyyYPPOOE_j1iw/h1/OSvMv2ahtPcjxWdYlOCZu8jqv_Vk9EV_UApjUu0GIWI> 

Donate 
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDLmC2gFw3F3Rt87_H7ZtO19XNd6zSVsECTKbl80dMhNVvJIeAdzIBW-QcIhiaq_r3ygIAdw1E6CZrsv73P7xlTfcWkBGsmSmcCnHYUczD1pyFgdZOyU_4TNUEBsJhDho_aZxJWjn2dtrZvNRQ32KgZkXyavevlg35PnwjocA2UNHp49Zus8FZdp97jYBg4ufLosts99gOSLdKO2ccOf2REYzWj5Rm82UbS9BkeWA3gCM5i6ZRvETherCHV3zKcDkLh6fHq9V5cpQRwzUlSUzXLGOqOjJgIRxQqWTwu6VJD4HHM2e5Jb7o0TvWBnvyJ1agUmHumklqGNB9lk2-olNbAE9PA0dFSyAnnJYfnG3qfZiXqSkbK5Jdck7g-eZJ7ZPOQYCzxP0DveWvNXd1qdDsmMg3CeRFwe9YkntMtEiw5j8/3pz/-bCeVXtjTyyYPPOOE_j1iw/h2/iNdoGmLs_61pBAuyouMp5ZUtsPPHU_I1DLJMWjpnn5Q> 

  *UPCOMING TRIALS*

/Support welcome inside and outside the courtroom. Bring Palestinian 
flags and banners in support!/

*Kingsway 3*

/*Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th October* - *Highbury Magistrates Court, 
London* - *9:30am until 5/5:30pm each day*/

Three activists are on trial for criminal damage and assault after they 
took direct action to permanently shut down Elbit's London headquarters. 
Let’s pack the courts and make the message clear: Elbit Systems are the 
only criminals here.

*Elbit 8 *

*/Monday 10th October- Snaresbrook Crown Court, London/*

The #ElbitEight are on trial for a variety of charges including 
conspiracy to blackmail, burgle and damage. Two of the activists on 
trial are co-founders of Palestine Action. This trial involves many 
different actions against Elbit Systems from July 2020 – February 2021 
(the launch of Palestine Action) and is expected to last five-six weeks. 
Activists are seeking to prove that #ElbitIsGuilty. For more details on 
how to support the campaign, see our campaign page 
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDLmC2gFw3F3Rt87_H7ZtO19kpDu8DSkcz0C9ZtI5Y4dOF3cKSmjxHn7INlO7Btt0wcFO5to60oBUEJaMQtzzMqMLOJa9ckWdpHQv_sYVElvXgBn9JT4b5FeTril3M76xd1AjSPGybl1siiVrggJjJNjkJ2iwmdFTdQ16dOrp0eVUE5GG_l6ukREW6MwMzlrtwEyC2sl9rX2vyhy3AseylVtV-XvdQ4_ATMAHKT2W-wlwOnTCy4dSxRrFt87XRqAyudjzy5uUquXaqQ1QdKu-ytoQtU76Z_7B_rHmUw1LJBQNRIfjMOlFRVdHKvpsWOJBkZ5l2lRzDUnIM3VfNNC6oYmuEhbqCIiyoTzBfX6g1pQdm6oUlpmbAV4jyUvgosPa6VEaJK0fhhU5H3LS0Rtbjz56hzCXmLEX7UUxqX1bpV3N7tQmfpquDx4m3VEgrzRzTw/3pz/-bCeVXtjTyyYPPOOE_j1iw/h3/dUFthluC7MluCp5RTJBMZsUj6e60wxGxT2QxJ-tzGg8>.

Upcoming Trials 
<https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/1XQbiUZqIgkFRQxQopJGKQIuCRKm5YeQaqePQmC7a8c8b2L8rPFSigpbgkIJxqt_R8_zgM14HCDEVEVyh9uKiNHFLd4fEV-vdsRkZd7kIsUKya_Wp3oge1NgOnnTpr_Y_9fJjKok1W-fP9pz0xh9o4RhPMu6kv-wNuOEoHIXrA-GG4LDEqruOzjD4OTpyl0JsGj6wbVbBDlfUGiJB2Zwfbf2VbFePlMJQ79mBCP3xzmW0k57vE3QXnQ8lrGem68Maalp-ga4r6joab8gmWqpiAZuG4jG8FEWR5-LrhiJF7Dx42Aoy2ZwrYhenj32ULovTwZypTnS_Ap4BiIR6YoGGnSkyix20yUvztBGArL3cQ6bvL7BL7iPpgeQG_chB7sONz4TSwfcP_U1EyYSQ-3CIdJPlugG1hkN-l4BDZHxkOpySkH4A45lsZtYE-H0fvfC/3pz/-bCeVXtjTyyYPPOOE_j1iw/h4/Co4WjCiYKab20ktepK2O2qLsx0L67WvHz6TZJVVJt60> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20221003/ac6040ea/attachment.htm>