Palestine Action strikes Israeli weapons factory in UK

• 

The Palestine Action organization announced that it struck an Israeli weapons factory, Elbit UAV Engines in Shenstone on Sunday.

In July 2020, Palestine Action was established in response to growing frustration at the failure of the UK government to take measures against the Israeli occupation due to its crimes against Palestinians.

In a statement on its website, the organization said its activists sprayed the building’s outer bricks with indelible ink, adding that one of the activists "was able to secure a position on the roof of the van and use it as a platform to display an anti-arms-trade banner, set off green and red flares, and importantly raise the Palestinian flag for a considerable length of time."

Palestine Action said the "Police forced the site’s security guards, behaving aggressively and unprofessionally, to retreat from the area."

The statement added that in a separate action, Palestine Action activists struck the property agents of UAV Engines Ltd, Fisher German, sprayed the Stafford branch with red paint, and proceeded to smash the windows.

BREAKING: Palestine Action strike the landlords of Shenstone’s israeli weapons factory. Recently, Fisher German removed signs from their branches in an attempt to deter actionists — it didn’t work #EvictElbit pic.twitter.com/OAz8scWybB

— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) November 28, 2022

Palestine Action indicated that the "double action comes after an eruption of Israeli colonial violence against the indigenous Palestinian population."

According to the organization, "Elbit has also recently unveiled its new suicide ‘Lanius’ drone — which translates as ‘the butcher’ — an autonomous mothership carrying several micro-bombs designed to fly up staircases and inside homes before self-detonating."

The statement indicated that "in retaliation, today’s activists have sought to amplify the popular Palestinian resistance, concentrating their efforts on disrupting the manufacture of Israeli weapons on British soil."

Five Palestine Actionists arrested after taking action against Israel's arms factory in Shenstone #ElbitIsGuilty pic.twitter.com/XgnGuHqvPP

— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) November 27, 2022

"UAV Engines in Shenstone is owned by Elbit Systems — Israel’s largest arms company. It specialises in making engines for combat drones, which the company openly market as ‘battle-tested’ on the Palestinian population," explained Palestine Action.

Elsewhere, the statement noted that "the Hermes 450 aircraft has been used to surveil and attack the people of Gaza for over a decade, decimating thousands of lives. This October, they were used to strike the heart of Nablus, terrorizing an entire city. Only recently has the Israeli military fully admitted that its Hermes, are indeed, armed — Israel’s worst kept secret, says Israeli TV Channel i24 News."

A Palestine Action spokesperson stressed that "as long as the Israelis continue to shatter Palestinian communities, we’ll continue to knock down the factories that perpetuate these crimes."

Palestine Action strikes Israeli arms factory in Shenstone; police move in too late: the writing's on the wall | from the river to the sea #ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/BDRyh3wzZV

— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) November 27, 2022

The spokesperson indicated that "Elbit has recently spent thousands reinforcing its premises to keep Palestine Action out, but all their new razor wire, CCTV surveillance equipment, and fortified fencing have failed yet again."

"We will continue to seek all routes in and out of the factory until Elbit is permanently disabled. The resistance will not stop until we are victorious and the company is forced to retreat from British soil for good,” the Palestine Action spokesperson stressed.

It is noteworthy that in mid-November, Palestine Action activists threw fake blood on the statue of former UK Prime Minister Arthur Balfour who issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and promised to build "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

“Palestine Action won’t stop until British complicity does."
Activists threw 'fake' blood on the statue of former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour who issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917 with only 67 words, promising to build “a national home for the Jewish people” in #Palestine. pic.twitter.com/GpExlCrwg0

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 13, 2022

Following 18 months of direct action against an Elbit site in Oldham, Greater Manchester, Palestine Action announced a victory when the factory was closed and sold by Elbit.

“But it’s not enough that just one of these death factories shuts down. We want to see #Elbit itself shut down for good, and all of their businesses forced out of #Britain – we will keep escalating our actions until that happens,” #PalestineAction spokesperson.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/I3sPhDirlS

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 11, 2022