In a co-ordinated pair of actions striking at the operations in Britain of Israel’s largest weapons company, Palestine Action have shut down operations at Elbit Systems’ Leicester drone factory and are occupying Elbit’s Bristol insurers.
Palestine Action: shitting on Elbit
Returning to the Leicester site once again after years of occupations, blockades, and disruption, two activists have today delivered a truckload of manure and scrap furniture to the factory gates and secured themselves inside the vehicle:
Actionists secured themselves inside a truck blocking the front gate of Elbit's Leicester weapons factory!
They've also tipped a load of manure on the drive of the Israeli drone maker. pic.twitter.com/85HuLPDn0m
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) April 14, 2025
The pile of excrement and ongoing obstruction is serving to blockade the site, halting operations as all access is prevented:
The ‘UAV Tactical Systems’ (U-TacS) plant, which is a major exporter of military drones to Israel, has thus been forced shut. The use of manure comes weeks after a similar stunt forced the closure of Elbit’s Bristol headquarters.
In Bristol, three activists are currently occupying the headquarters of Allianz – the insurance and financial giant which is responsible for ‘Employers Liability Insurance’ for Elbit Systems UK.
BREAKING: Palestine Action are shutting down Allianz's office in Bristol.
Allianz provide mandatory insurance for Elbit Systems, Israel's biggest arms firm.
Without it, Elbit couldn't build Israeli weapons in Britain which are "battle-tested" on Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/GlUJCh6cm8
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) April 14, 2025
Without this insurance, Elbit’s factories – which export arms en-masse to Israel – could not operate.
The Palestine Action campaign so far has seen dozens of Allianz’ branches struck with disruptive direct action, which seeks to raise the costs of their complicity and make it unprofitable to deal with war criminals.
Elsewhere in Britain, Palestine Action claim responsibility for overnight damage to Aviva’s corporate offices at the Observatory building in Manchester, insurers of Elbit’s Staffordshire weapons factory, UAV Engines Ltd:
And, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands chapter of the Palestine Action movement damaged and defaced the headquarters of Allianz.
Killing Palestinians without recourse
Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, produces 85% of Israel’s killer drone fleet. Such drones are routinely marketed as “battle-tested” or “combat proven” as they are first tested on the Palestinian people. Despite previous denials, both export licenses and cargo shipments prove UAV Tactical Systems directly exports it’s weaponry to Israel during the current Gaza genocide.
A spokesperson for Palestine Action has stated:
Israel’s genocide in Gaza is continuing at full steam – and the acts of resistance in the West with demonstrated success are those which strike at the manufacture of Israel’s weapons.
By taking on Elbit, and by taking on those facilitating its criminal enterprise, we continue to stand with the Palestinians and to undo our complicity in their killing.
Featured image via Milo Chandler and additional images supplied
