Hundreds of Palestine Actionists descended on Meridian Business Park in Leicester, UK on Sunday, 7 May 2023 to force Elbit’s Israeli Arms factory to shut down.
With banners, chants, Palestine flags, and rousing speeches delivered so far, the mass of people was welcomed later by an empowering performance by rapper and activist Lowkey along with award-winning actor and playwright Tayo Aluko, Palestinian Dabke, poetry, and more.
The Siege against Leicester’s Elbit-owned UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS) is a mass action involving vast numbers willing to remain at the site, using themselves to disrupt the business flow.
U-TacS is a drone factory owned and operated by Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, in partnership with French arms firm Thales.
Elbit manufactures 85% of the Israeli occupation military drone fleet not only arming the Israeli military with these drones and developing the technology but also operating the drones alongside the troops, directly assisting them in their attacks against Palestinian people.
Palestine Action activists who are distinguished by wearing the Red Suits during their activities have also targeted companies associated with Elbit, including property firms providing premises for the company, two years since the group was established.
Palestine Action adopts the tactics and methodology of civil disobedience in its actions as they target UK-based operations complicit in supporting the Israeli apartheid regime and crimes against the Palestinian people. The actions included also occupations of the firm’s factories and offices, the causing of damage, and threats to target firms associated with Elbit Systems.
Since Palestine Action was launched, Elbit has shut down two of its operations that were hit by direct action – the Ferranti factory in Oldham in Greater Manchester and a headquarters office in London.
