On Tuesday 25 February, activists from Palestine Action once again parked up outside the Elbit Systems HQ at Aztec West 600, Bristol. We say ‘parked up’. They, of course, blockaded the factory to stop its complicity with Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Palestine Action: back to Bristol again
Arriving with a truck full of manure, Palestine Action blocked the only entrance into the British Headquarters of Israel’s biggest weapons firm. The activists then secured the vehicle, before locking-on inside, effectively shutting down Elbit HQ:
Whilst capturing the action, an independent press certified photographer was wrongfully arrested at the scene.
According to Israeli media, Elbit provides up to 80% of the Israeli military’s land based military equipment and 85% of its killer drones. It supplies huge numbers of munitions and missiles – including the so-called ‘Iron Sting’, developed and deployed for the first time in the Gaza genocide, in which the deadly technology produced by Elbit has played a central role.
The Bristol HQ acts as a logistics hub for the weapons firm, from where its British operations are directed and controlled.
Palestine Action first shut down the Israeli weapons HQ on 13 April 2021, with a rooftop occupation. Its campaign against the site has been as relentless as our campaign to kick Elbit out of Britain, with blockades, rooftop occupations, property damage, and paint attacks. In addition, actions took place on 2 November 2021, 15 May 2022, 16 May 2022, 31 October 2023, 7 November 2023, 13 November 2023, 18 January 2024, 14 February 2024, 20 March 2024, 2 May 2024, 24 June 2024, 15 July 2024, 16 July 2024, and the 12 November 2024.
Ridding British soil of Elbit
Today’s blockade takes place at a time when the British state is increasingly employing Draconian tactics against anti-Genocide protestors, which extends to the misuse of so-called ‘anti-terrorism’ legislation, and the imprisonment without trial of 20 Palestine Action members. These include 18 people arrested, and remanded in custody, accused of attacks upon Ebit’s second Bristol site at Filton. Some of the Filton 18 have been imprisoned since August 2024.
A spokesperson for Palestine Action said:
Despite a supposed ceasefire, Israel continues to kill Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, to destroy civilian infrastructure, and to imprison and torture men, women, and children. Britain is entirely complicit, having aided, abetted, armed, and lied for the Zionist state since its inception, and throughout the Gaza Genocide.
Palestine Action are committed to ridding British soil of the weapons makers making fat profits from the murder of Palestinians. Direct Action is our proven tactic, and we will not be intimidated. We will shut Elbit down.
Featured image/video via Palestine Action
