Palestine Action occupy Property Manager of Israel’s drone engine factory
The UK based activist group of Palestine Action has occupied and shut down Vine Property Management, trading under the Fisher German banner, on Monday, as the activists call for an end to the company’s facilitation of Israel’s arms production.
Three female Palestine Action activists, a UK based activist group which leads a growing campaign to shut down Israeli-based weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, stormed the site this morning at 6:00 am, chained the gates, occupied the roof, prevented operations and sprayed the premises with blood-red paint.
Vine Property Management in #Birmingham runs the premises of Elbit's drone factory, profits from Israel's arms trade and is currently shut down by Palestine Action. #EvictElbit #ShutElbitDown pic.twitter.com/XR9T3XruEN
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) July 5, 2021
The company is responsible for the operations, maintenance and oversight of the factory of Elbit subsidiary UAV Engines in Shenstone, Staffordshire, used for the manufacture of the engines used in Elbit’s Hermes and Watchkeeper drones.
UAV Engines Ltd in Shenstone has been targeted and occupied 5 times by Palestine Action in the 12 months since the direct action network was launched, with the critical site of drone manufacture having been shut down for multiple weeks in total with significant losses and damages.
Palestine Action pledged that the campaign of direct action taken to shut Elbit down will continue to escalate and expand – both by preventing operations and occupying Elbit sites, or by cutting off Elbit’s supply chain and halting operations as Elbit’s partners, landlords and suppliers are targeted.
Palestine Action has called on to an end to the firm’s continued facilitation of Elbit Systems and, by extension, of Israeli war crimes.
The group ‘Palestine Action’ was set up last year, in 2020, breaking onto the activist scene by its targeting of Elbit Systems factories around Britain. The group has been described as using similar creative tactics, to disrupt Elbit facilities, as well known Climate Change activist group ‘Extinction Rebellion’.
“The production of arms, drones, and military technology relies on an interconnected and massive network of complicit firms – Palestine Action are dismantling this network, demanding that firms cease their partnership with Elbit unless they want to be shut down along with them,” a Palestine Action spokesperson stated.
“The message to all other firms with Palestinian blood on their hands is simple: until you end your facilitation of Israel’s brutal repression of Palestinians and sever ties with Elbit, Palestine Action will shut you down and cease your contribution to genocide for you.”
