[News] Palestine Action has taken its fight against Elbit to the next level

[Anti-Imperialist News]

thecanary.co
<https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2024/03/21/palestine-action-elbit-camp/>
Palestine Action has taken its fight against Elbit to the next level
by The Canary <https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/>
21 March 2024
<https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2024/03/21/palestine-action-elbit-camp/>
------------------------------

On Wednesday 20 March, activists from Palestine
<https://www.thecanary.co/topics/palestine/> Action set up camp in front of
Elbit’s Bristol headquarters at Aztec West 600. It comes after the group
targeted Somerset Council over its complicity in Elbit and Israel
<https://www.thecanary.co/topics/israel/>‘s genocide – as it is the
former’s landlord.
Palestine Action: a base of resistance

Establishing a base of resistance, activists have put up gazebos, banners,
Palestine flags, and scaled up trees overlooking the Israeli weapons maker:
[image: image11-2-scaled.jpg]
[image: image05-1-scaled.jpg]

The camp is the latest in a series of actions to kick Elbit out of Aztec
West 600. It’s a premises which is owned by Somerset Council. Since Palestine
Action’s launch in July 2020 <https://www.palestineaction.org/>, activists
have broken inside the arms manufacturer, occupied the roof, blockaded the
gates, and dismantled the premises.

Simultaneously, residents of Somerset have taken several
<https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2024/02/08/somerset-council-israel/> actions
<https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2024/03/01/palestine-action-four-actions/>
to demand Somerset Council terminate Elbit’s lease before they sell the
property. It’s sale which is motivated by financial pressure on the
council. Residents have repeatedly disrupted council meetings in a bid to
make their voices heard and reject their county’s complicity in genocide.

After requests to evict Elbit were dismissed by councillors, activists
covered Somerset County Hall
<https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2024/03/19/lib-dem-israel-gaza/> in red
paint and spray painted messages such as ‘Elbit out’, ‘Evict Elbit’ and
‘Blood on your hands’:
[image:
Lib-Dem-led-Somerset-council-office-sprayed-with-red-paint-and-a-palestinian-flag-with-the-words-elbit-out-and-evict-elbit-with-hand-prints.jpg]

The newly established camp will apply further pressure on the council and
reduce the prospect of any future sale without first evicting Elbit.

Elbit: staggering complicity.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s biggest weapons manufacturer, whose UK division
is headquartered at Aztec West 600, with both Elbit Systems UK and Elbit
Systems Ltd (based in Haifa, Israel) listed as named parties on the lease.
Providing 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment, as
well as bullets, bombs, munitions and other weaponry, the company is a key
pillar of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

By using Gaza as a laboratory for new weaponry, Elbit can market their
products as “battle-tested” or “combat proven” before selling them on to
global militaries. Both the export and purchase of Elbit’s weaponry
maintains the illegal occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people.

Palestine Action vow to continue to take action until Elbit is out of Aztec
West 600, and ultimately out of Britain.

*Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action*
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