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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Palestine Action Strikes Again:
Elbit-Ferranti Oldham Shut Down</h1>
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<p><strong>PRESS RELEASE</strong><br>
<img
src="cid:part1.WkT60SAt.uMpKU5LV@freedomarchives.org"
alt="7ea22589-615d-48ca-a474-e67a18c2bb29.jpg"
class="" width="451" height="301"><strong><br>
</strong></p>
<p><strong>21/06/21<br>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Activists have stormed and occupied the site of
Elbit Ferranti in Oldham, Greater Manchester.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>A Palestine Action spokesperson has said:</p>
<p><em>“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.</em></p>
<p><em>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.</em></p>
<p><em>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.”</em></p>
<p>The Elbit Ferranti site in Oldham is used for the
manufacture of specialist military products and
technology – including the <em>SkEye</em> persistent
surveillance system for Elbit’s <em>Hermes</em> <em>450</em>
and <em>900</em> drones, both of which have been used
extensively in successive Israeli bombardments of
Gaza. Ferranti advertise the manufacture of the <em>SpectroXR
</em>ultra-long range imaging system at the Oldham
site – which is again used in <em>Hermes </em>drones.
The site is also used in the manufacture of <em>IronVision</em>
helmets for use in battle tans such as the <em>Carmel</em>,
which has been designed specifically for operations in
densely built, urban areas (Gaza).</p>
<p><strong>ENDS<br>
NOTES TO EDITORS</strong></p>
<p>If you would like any further information on this
action or on Palestine action, please contact <a
href="mailto:media@palestineaction.org"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">media@palestineaction.org</a> or
our press line at 07840150925</p>
<p>For rolling updates of ongoing actions please check
the <a href="https://twitter.com/Pal_action"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">Palestine Action Twitter
account</a></p>
<p><strong>Palestine Action</strong></p>
<p>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<br>
</p>
<p><a
href="https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/palestine-action-and-extinction-rebellion-activists-shut-down-israeli-arms-factory/"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://mondoweiss.net/2021/02/palestine-action-and-extinction-rebellion-activists-shut-down-israeli-arms-factory/</a><br>
Some previous Palestine Action occupations and
actions:<a
href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-57184318"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-57184318</a><a
href="https://realmedia.press/palestine-action-in-leicester/"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-uk-leicester-activists-shut-down-arms-factory</a><a
href="https://palestineaction.org/tamworth-occupied/" rel="noreferrer
noopener" target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://palestineaction.org/tamworth-occupied/</a><br>
<a
href="https://realmedia.press/palestine-action-occupy-elbit-again/"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://realmedia.press/palestine-action-occupy-elbit-again/</a><br>
<strong>Elbit Systems</strong>Information on the
suffering inflicted by Elbit’s drones, including the <em>Hermes</em>: <a
href="https://corporatewatch.org/elbit-systems-company-profile-2/"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://corporatewatch.org/elbit-systems-company-profile-2/</a><br>
Role of Elbit drone in killing of four children paying
on Gaza beach in 2014: <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2018/08/11/israel-palestine-drone-strike-operation-protective-edge/"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://theintercept.com/2018/08/11/israel-palestine-drone-strike-operation-protective-edge/</a><br>
UK Ministry of Defence signs £102 million contract
with Elbit Systems UK for “sensor-to-shoot” system: <a
href="https://www.army-technology.com/news/uk-mod-orders-elbit-detect-and-destroy-system/"
rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://www.army-technology.com/news/uk-mod-orders-elbit-detect-and-destroy-system/</a></p>
<p><span></span> <span></span> </p>
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