Palestine Action targeted two companies complicit in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza on Wednesday 14 February – shutting down one completely and shaming the other by painting it blood-red.
First, and the group “drenched” the Manchester offices of Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon in red paint, to symbolise the bank’s complicity in Palestinian bloodshed. Activists also sprayed a message calling for Elbit to be shut down:
BNY Mellon invest over £10m in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems, which provides 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land based equipment, as well as missiles, bullets, and other weaponry.
Speaking of Elbit, Palestine Action did actually shut Elbit down too in 14 February.
Elbit: quite literally shut down – for now
Activists from Palestine Action blockaded the Bristol headquarters of Elbit. By attaching themselves to each other using lock ons, they prevented access into the central hub of what Palestine Action describe as Elbit’s “lethal business”:
Actionists SHUT DOWN Elbit’s Bristol HQ.
Petitions, protests and lobbying has failed to end our governments complicity in genocide, so we’re left with no other option but direct action.
And we will not stop until Elbit is shut down for good! pic.twitter.com/QHMmoVHDkr
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) February 14, 2024
BREAKING: Palestine Action are blockading the only entrance into the Bristol HQ of Israel’s largest weapons firm.
A genocide is underway which our government is assisting, so it’s up to the people to #ShutElbitDown!
Join us at Elbit, Aztec West, Patchway pic.twitter.com/PwL5gJEex4
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) February 14, 2024
The action continued for hours – stopping all deliveries coming in and going out of Elbit’s factory:
Deliveries unable to enter Elbit’s Bristol HQ as we’ve SHUT DOWN the Israeli weapons maker.
Over six hours later and we’re still here holding the blockade.#ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/RkhhJ4GMLe
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) February 14, 2024
Using Elbit’s weaponry, Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. Most recently, the occupiers have begun massacring Palestinians in Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians were told to go in order to be safe. Over the past few months, over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 12,000 of whom are children.
Elbit Systems produces military drones, munitions, combat vehicles, missiles and other Israeli weaponry. The majority of their arms are marketed as “battle-tested”, as they’ve been developed by conducting bombardments of the Palestinian people. The Israeli weapons firm is crucial to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as claimed by Elbit’s CEO.
Palestine Action: shutting down the war criminals themselves
A Palestine Action spokesperson has said:
Whilst Israeli weapons companies operate on our doorstep which assist in occupying, displacing and massacring the people in Gaza, it’s up to the people to take direct action to shut Elbit down. Every other method including marches, petitions and lobbying has failed to end British complicity in the occupation. We have the power, the ability and the will to shut the war criminals down ourselves.
As the Canary previously reported, the owner of Elbit’s Bristol headquarters is Somerset council. It was recently targeted by locals who crashed their executive meeting in order to call for the council to terminate the lease with Elbit.
All this comes after other Palestine Action campaigns which have successfully ended businesses working with Elbit.
Four other companies have ended their association with Elbit’s deadly trade in the past two months. These include Elbit’s weapons transporters Kuehne + Nagel; recruiters iO associates, property managers Fisher German, and website designers Naked Creativity.
Featured image via Palestine Action
