Activists from Palestine Action (PA) have again targeted Israeli weapons-maker Elbit’s Leicester drone factory, UAV Tactical Systems. One contingent used an articulated lorry to smash through a fence and act as a platform for two protesters. At the same time, another group scaled the building and currently occupy the roof of the drone production facility. Red paint has been sprayed across the building to symbolise the company’s involvement in spilling Palestinian blood. Those on the roof are said to have used tools to break through it.
UAV Tactical Systems is majority-owned by Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems — who manufacture 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet amongst other lethal arms and military software. Export licenses reveal that drone technologies are regularly exported from the factory to the apartheid state’s occupying military force.
According to Corporate Watch, the firm markets its products by describing them as ‘battle tested’.
According to War on Want, UAV Tactical Systems’ flagship Watchkeeper drone has been used by the British military in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the English Channel – but is modelled on the notorious Hermes 450 drone, that has been used in attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.
Elbit’s drones are regularly used by the Israeli military during the ongoing genocide in Gaza. According to human rights watchdog EuroMed Monitor, since October 7th the Israeli military has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than double that number as well as destroying hospitals, schools and over 70,000 residential buildings. After forcing more than one million Palestinians to flee to Rafah in Gaza, the Israeli military has rejected a US/Qatar/Egypt-broked ceasefire deal it had previously agreed and is now invading the only supposed ‘safe zone’ left in the besieged strip.
The UK government has refused to impose any limitations on arms deals, even after three Britons and others were murdered by Israel in its triple bombing of a World Central Kitchen aid convoy.
Ahead of the action, one of the Palestine Action activists said:
This country is a signatory to the Genocide convention. These laws are not to be discounted just because it’s politically expedient. They were set up for a reason and I cannot accept that the country I was born in and have lived in all my life is deciding to flout those laws.
Another added:
If the government aren’t going to act, it is my personal, moral and legal right to take direct action.
Locals in Leicester have also been conducting a daily campaign against the weapons factory’s activities.
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