{"id":180234,"date":"2021-05-26T11:07:39","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T11:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1434092"},"modified":"2021-05-26T11:07:39","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T11:07:39","slug":"in-leicester-hundreds-demonstrated-outside-an-israeli-arms-factor-what-if-that-could-be-repeated-nationwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/05\/26\/in-leicester-hundreds-demonstrated-outside-an-israeli-arms-factor-what-if-that-could-be-repeated-nationwide\/","title":{"rendered":"In Leicester hundreds demonstrated outside an Israeli arms factor. What if that could be repeated nationwide?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On 24 May, hundreds of local people joined a demonstration outside an Israeli arms company in Leicester. The protest was in support of a six-day long rooftop occupation of the factory by campaigners calling for the factory to be closed down.<\/p>\n<p>Demonstrators were met by lines of police in riot gear:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"ezyvaHIW5con1ZP3iJQRO7ruhUjD48sSBNfmp9XtGlFK6VdM\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Police swarm in riot gear to protect Elbit Systems, Israel\u2019s largest arms company, who test their weapons on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ShutElbitDown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/J0dVUFe2ef\">pic.twitter.com\/J0dVUFe2ef<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Palestine Action (@Pal_action) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1396937098033303554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Undaunted, the crowd tried to prevent the police from arresting the people who had been occupying the factory:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Zdzc5FbU\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The resistance continues! Brave supporters have managed to hold the site and blockade the removal of arrested activists for over 6 hours. And it isn\u2019t stopping until we <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ShutElbitDown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LSUnlRkcrn\">pic.twitter.com\/LSUnlRkcrn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Palestine Action (@Pal_action) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1396972187152797704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<h5>A moment of solidarity and rage<\/h5>\n<p>The factory occupation <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/elbit-leicester\/\">began<\/a> on 19 May in response to Israel&#8217;s aerial assault on the Gaza Strip, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pchrgaza.org\/en\/cease-fire-reached-after-11-days-of-iof-aggression-on-gaza\/\">killed<\/a> 247 Palestinians, including 66 children, in 11 days. A ceasefire was announced on 21 May.<\/p>\n<p>While the Leicester occupation was ongoing, thousands demonstrated around the UK marking a day of action on 22 May. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/video\/2021\/may\/22\/thousands-march-in-london-pro-palestine-demonstration-video\">Up to 180,000<\/a> people marched in London.<\/p>\n<p>What if the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets across the UK could turn their attention to the factories providing weapons to fuel Israel&#8217;s attack? What if the scenes last night outside Elbit&#8217;s Leicester factory could be repeated at Elbit&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/stop-elbit\/\">ten sites<\/a> across the UK?<\/p>\n<h5>We need &#8220;more and more&#8221; action<\/h5>\n<p>Palestinians have been calling for international solidarity as they rise up against Israel&#8217;s brutal occupation. Just listen to this speech by Shahd Abusalma, a Palestinian woman in Gaza who lives in Sheffield:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"d84gnY7IGxkPT0vFYtgoEyVyBRrnhMakxKflLd9o8b5OupzNGj2cWvQ5S1hJ1qHiwKeHNTC7z6Qte3JaFWXZrSIcqA92mRCA6UDM\"><iframe title=\"Palestine: The world needs to act\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_GTy9oDKw7c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Another Palestinian woman &#8211; speaking from the occupied West Bank &#8211; told <em>The Canary: <\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We thank the solidarity campaigners for their activities but it is not enough. What is happening in Gaza &#8211; the destruction and killing of people in cold blood needs more and more action. Even if the war ends, what is next? Shall we wait for another war, for more crimes before we organise and call again for a free Palestine?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h5>Evidence of drones<\/h5>\n<p>During the factory occupation in Leicester, campaigners managed to enter the factory and photograph drones being manufactured there:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"EPU9XOVLmuvc6NoS\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Activists in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Leicester?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Leicester<\/a> entered Israel&#39;s arms factory &amp; saw the body of a military drone. The police then entered the building, removed the drone and are currently guarding it. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ShutElbitDown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ShutElbitDown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SNlXiqgQu8\">pic.twitter.com\/SNlXiqgQu8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Palestine Action (@Pal_action) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action\/status\/1396765157070708737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>They had also <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/fire-brigades-union\/\">threw red paint<\/a> at the walls of the factory, symbolising the blood of the Palestinians killed by equipment manufactured by Elbit.<\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend campaigners in Bristol daubed Elbit&#8217;s registered office with red paint, and wrote Save Sheikh Jarrah across its walls, in solidarity with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/north-africa-west-asia\/palestinians-and-struggle-dispossessed\/\">struggle for survival<\/a> of Palestinians living in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"BJluzj1Md2X34g\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SaveSheikhJarrah?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SaveSheikhJarrah<\/a>, Free Palestine! Elbit\u2019s offices in Bristol targeted<\/p>\n<p>An anonymous action report received by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/autonomy_news?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@autonomy_news<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FreePalestine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FreePalestine<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BDS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BDS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Elbit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Elbit<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BDSmovement?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BDSmovement<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pal_action?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Pal_action<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ISMPalestine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ISMPalestine<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IWZaelQX4a\">pic.twitter.com\/IWZaelQX4a<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Autonomy_News (@autonomy_news) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/autonomy_news\/status\/1396175225042128898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 22, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The night after the arrests in Leicester &#8211; on the morning of 25 May &#8211; campaigners <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/palestine-action-shut-down-tamworth\/\">occupied<\/a> the roof of another Elbit factory, this time in Tamworth.<\/p>\n<h5>Years of campaigning<\/h5>\n<p>In response to Israel&#8217;s brutal occupation &#8211; and to the massive Israeli attack on Gaza in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2010\/dec\/20\/gaza-justice-israel-courts\">2009<\/a> &#8211; Palestinian civil society groups <a href=\"https:\/\/bdsmovement.net\/military-embargo\">called<\/a> for a two way arms embargo of Israel in 2011. This two-way embargo demanded that states cease selling weapons to Israel, and also refrain from buying armaments from Israeli companies.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bdsmovement.net\/news\/act-solidarity-with-gaza-stop-israels-killer-elbit-drones\">calls<\/a> for global campaigns against Elbit, Israel&#8217;s largest arms company,<\/p>\n<p>Demands for the closure of Elbit&#8217;s UK sites snowballed during the last full-scale attack on Gaza in 2014. Direct actions against Elbit&#8217;s factories <a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">increased<\/a> in momentum as Israel attacked Gaza, campaigners occupied the roof of Elbit&#8217;s Shenstone factory, and blockaded its gates with lock-ons at the company&#8217;s Kent premises.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Elbit <a href=\"https:\/\/corporatewatch.org\/elbit-systems-company-profile-2\/\">unsuccessfully<\/a> applied for a high court injunction against protests at its Shenstone factory<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In 2020, the Palestine Action campaign group <a href=\"https:\/\/mondoweiss.net\/2020\/09\/stepping-up-direct-action-for-palestine\/\">was formed<\/a>, and since then it has further intensified the struggle against Elbit, holding repeated occupations of Elbit sites, <a href=\"https:\/\/morningstaronline.co.uk\/article\/b\/they-cant-ignore-us-activists-break-into-israeli-arms-factory-in-oldham\">break ins<\/a> at the company&#8217;s factories, and <a href=\"https:\/\/leftfootforward.org\/2020\/09\/palestine-action-activists-arrested-in-london-after-protests-against-israel-arms-manufacturer\/\">demonstrations<\/a> outside Elbit&#8217;s office in London. The campaign has also been <a href=\"https:\/\/palestineaction.org\/times-up-lasalle\/\">targeting<\/a> the company which owns Elbit&#8217;s London office, LaSalle Investment Management. Campaigners are calling for LaSalle to evict Elbit.<\/p>\n<h5>Taking the fight to their doorsteps<\/h5>\n<p>\u200bThe demonstration in Leicester in support of the rooftop occupiers was the largest demonstration outside a UK Elbit factory in this long history of campaigning. The support for Palestine on the streets right now shows that we can repeat what happened in Leicester at Elbit&#8217;s sites across the UK. We owe it to our Palestinian comrades to make sure that happens.<\/p>\n<p><em>Featured Image via Palestine Action\/Vudi Xhymshiti <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Tom Anderson is part of the <a href=\"http:\/\/shoalcollective.org\/\"  rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Shoal Collective<\/a>, a cooperative producing writing for social justice and a world beyond capitalism. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shoalcollective\"  rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">shoalcollective<\/a><\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/tom-anderson\/\">Tom Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/uk\/2021\/05\/26\/in-leicester-hundreds-demonstrated-outside-an-israeli-arms-factor-what-if-that-could-be-repeated-nationwide\/\">The Canary<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 24 May, hundreds of local people joined a demonstration outside an Israeli arms company in Leicester. The protest was in support of a \u2026 <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/uk\/2021\/05\/26\/in-leicester-hundreds-demonstrated-outside-an-israeli-arms-factor-what-if-that-could-be-repeated-nationwide\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/div>\n<p>By <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/author\/tom-anderson\/\">Tom Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1537,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26337,1366,5874,710,2692,287,365,82,26338,4,33,473,6148,1395,294],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1537"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180234"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191027,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180234\/revisions\/191027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}