Pro-Palestine protesters block entrances to Raytheon plant
Portsmouth (QNN)- A group of pro-Palestine activists blocked the entrance to a Raytheon Technologies plant in Rhode Island on Thursday morning to protest against the company’s role in the “killing of civilians” and “other human rights abuses.”
The protest, organized by the FANG Collective, began around 6 a.m. on Thursday and several people were apparently chained to cars to block the front gate, while others held banners and chanted slogans.
The protesters held up a placard with “Palestine” written on it and chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Our friends are being extracted, though entrances still are blocked. pic.twitter.com/GRm3DlHta9
— FANG (@FangCollective) August 12, 2021
Activists block entrance to Raytheon in Portsmouth. @UpriseRI @FangCollective @RaytheonTech pic.twitter.com/VDKh3MhBrZ
— Steve Ahlquist (@steveahlquist) August 12, 2021
The group said in a statement it was protesting the Waltham, Massachusetts-based defense contractor’s “weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and Israel, and their involvement in enforcing the U.S.-Mexican border.”
“Raytheon profits from the killing of civilians, families and children in Palestine, Yemen and elsewhere,” the group said.
The group added, “We can’t sit idly by while Raytheon engineers new and more destructive ways of killing innocent people, Raytheon must be stopped and held accountable.”
The company is ranked as the second largest defense contractor in the world on Defense News’ Top 100 list.
In response to the protest, a Raytheon spokesperson said the company respects “the right to lawful and peaceful protest.
