Images and videos are available for free [with attribution to Shut Elbit Down Bristol]
In Bristol this morning, activists from ‘Shut Elbit Down Bristol’ took direct action against the Headquarters of Elbit Systems UK, Israel’s number one weapons manufacturer.
Two people cycled up to the entrance of the building and used lock-on devices built into the bikes, to blockade access to the site, draw attention to Elbit’s direct involvement in the genocide in Gaza, and to disrupt Elbit’s British operations, which are controlled from the Aztec West HQ.
Elbit are Israel’s biggest manufacturer of military hardware, producing 85% of the attack drones, which have been used to decimate the civilian population of Gaza. These include the quadcopter drones, which mimic the sounds of crying children, drawing others in to be killed. They advertise their weapons as “battle tested”, but it is no secret that they are actually tested on Palestinian civilians.
This protest takes place as the Minsitry of Defence may imminently grant Elbit Systems a £2billion contract to train 60,000 British soldiers. If this happens, it will make Israel’s biggest weapons firm a strategic partner of the MOD – at a time when the company is actively arming and fueling the genocide in Gaza.
Elbit’s premises throughout Britain, including the Aztec West site, have been the scenes of many previous protests.
Before cycling to Elbit, one action taker said:
“Today we are blocking the entrance of the Elbit factory in Bristol. Elbit are an active participant in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. They supply drones and F-35 fighter jet parts for the Israeli occupying forces.
Our own Ministry of Defence (MOD) may imminently sign a £2billion contract with Elbit to train 60,000 British soldiers. This is a company that is actively enabling the killing of journalists and civilians, and they’re about to become a strategic partner of the MOD. We can’t allow this to happen, so today we’re shutting Elbit down.”
The other action taker added:
“Today we’re at Aztec West, the Elbit UK headquarters because the UK should not house factories that are actively involved in murdering thousands of Palestinians.
A few days ago it was reported that Elbit are trying to win a contract with the Ministry of Defence to train British soldiers. Elbit is deeply complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people. To them this genocide is just a way to make money. They say that their weapons are “battle-tested” – this testing is done on Palestinians, real people who are getting killed. A famine has been declared, Palestinians are being starved by Israel, yet the UK continues to remain complicit.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Aftershock is a publisher and media distributor of global actions for Palestine. We help amplify protests and actions, but work independently from the groups themselves.