Palestine Action activists demand Elbit weapons maker shut down

Palestine Action activists in the UK have shut down the ADS Group, representatives and advocates of the world’s largest arms dealers which are deeply complicit in the crimes committed by the Israeli company Elbit weapons against Palestinian people.

The premises and operations of the ADS Group, whose business is the promotion of companies such as Elbit Systems within government and at arms fairs, and acts to facilitate the business of Israel’s largest weapons company and promote them with lobbying, were locked off in London.

The activists sprayed red paint from a repurposed fire extinguisher to represent the business-of-bloodshed that the ADS group carries out, according to the Palestine Action website.

They also put a banner on display that read “Shut Elbit Down,” making the aim of the action clear.

Since then, the central London offices, in the vicinity of the Ministry of Defense and Houses of Parliament, have been put under a police cordon. Three of the activists were arrested by the police.

In a tweet showing a picture of the activists carrying the banner on the ADS building sinking in red color, Palestine Action wrote “War criminals are not welcome on our streets.”

This is not the first time pro-Palestine campaigners raise their voices in face of Israeli crimes against humanity that are majorly supported by the US and the West.

The ADS Group offer arms companies exclusive access to arms fairs to gain market and stakeholder access – for the purposes of weapons sales – along with business and network support and government lobbying and access to politicians.

Elbit Systems, an advertised member of the ADS Group, is notoriously known as Israel’s number one manufacturer of killer drones and other murder machines.

Elbit’s drones are used by some buyers for the violent repression of civilian populations as well as in air and sea surveillance. The Hermes 450/900 drones have been “battle-tested” in Gaza, where they maintain a constant presence in the skies, made known by their distinct buzzing. The threat of bombing is always lurking in the background.

Also, Elbit drones make up 85 percent of Israel’s drone fleet and are used to keep entire populations living in fear.

According to Palestine Action, the ADS work to represent what the activists describe as profiteers of death: not only Elbit Systems, but also Raytheon, Thales, MBDA, Airbus, BAE Systems, Babcock, and Lockheed Martin.

“We have already shown that we will disrupt Elbit at their factories, at their fancy dinners, at their arms fairs, and through the companies that facilitate their business-of-bloodshed. The ADS Group have blood on their hands – the blood of Palestinians, Yemenis, and the millions of dead who would still be alive if not for their members’ abhorrent weapons trade. The days that arms companies and their running dogs can operate freely in this country are numbered, and Palestine Action will continue this disruption until Elbit cease to exist,” the group said.

Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of the Israel-based company of the same name, employs over 500 people and has 10 sites in the UK, including four factories.

Apart from supplying Israel with weaponry, Elbit is also a major supplier of sophisticated technology to the British military.

Earlier in 2022, Palestine Action said their relentless attempts to sound objection to the weapons company have successfully forced the closure of two of its sites in London and Oldham.

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