Palestine Action has been back targetting Lib Dem-led Somerset Council over its complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza – after it voted to take action, but since hasn’t.
Palestine Action: mashing up Somerset Council
On 29 July, activists from Palestine Action targeted Somerset Council’s county hall in Taunton. The building was sprayed in red paint and windows were shattered, symbolising the council’s complicity in Palestinian bloodshed by renting their Bristol premises to Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest weapons producer:
They also took aim at the council’s signage – mashing that up, too:
Somerset Council are the landlords of Aztec West 600, the headquarters of Elbit Systems UK.
Somerset Council and the Lib Dems: complicit in genocide
As the Canary has documented, due to financial concerns, Somerset Council have made plans to sell Aztec West 600 as part of a wholesale move to dispose of their commercial investments. However, residents have repeatedly demanded the council follow their legal and moral obligations to immediately evict Elbit from the property before disposing of the site.
After several actions taken against the council, the full council voted to explore legal ways to evict Elbit before selling the premises on 23 April. Despite the democratic mandate and legal advice from Palestine Action’s lawyers which set out a route to evict Elbit, the council have taken no further steps to remove the Israeli weapons maker.
Elbit Systems is Israel’s biggest weapons manufacturer, who supply 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment in addition to missiles, bombs and bullets. As part of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Elbit “ramped up production” for the Israeli military who use the company’s services “extensively”.
During a court case, Alan Wright, VP of Sales at Elbit Systems UK, revealed that the premises is used for “systems integration” of weaponry for their customers.
During Elbit’s annual investor conference 2024 in Israel, Elbit Systems CEO Bezhalel Machlis stated that all Elbit companies in the UK are a significant part of the Israeli weapons firm who frequently work with their counterparts in Israel and share technology.
In the same conference, a video was displayed of Elbit workers saying they feel like ‘civil soldiers’ and regularly engage in ongoing debriefs with the Israeli military during the use of their weapons in Gaza.
A ‘rude awakening’ from Palestine Action
A Palestine Action spokesperson said:
Somerset Council have ignored their democratically passed motion and have taken no further steps to remove Elbit from their premises. By leasing to the Israeli weapons maker, they’ve made the whole county complicit in the ongoing Gaza genocide.
They may find our actions a rude awakening, but it pales in comparison to the bombs which are raining down on the Palestinian people every day – bombs made by the company leasing Somerset Council’s property.
Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action
