Overnight, the Direct Action Group DISMANTLE targeted two London-based companies which are linked to Israeli weapons makers, and to the genocide in Gaza. The group spray painted and smashed windows at arms trade group ADS Group and weapons consultancy firm, Eagle Strategic Consulting Ltd.
In one action, activists visited the offices of ADS Group, at Salamanca Place, London SE1, leaving behind broken windows, blood-red paint, and graffiti. The ADS Group act as both trade association, and lobbyists for the biggest players in the arms trade, promoting weapons companies such as Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms firm, and the manufacturer of 85% of the Israeli military’s lethal drone fleet.
ADS have a prominent role in the notorious DSEI (Defence and Security International) arms fair, which takes place in London in September. DSEI is the biggest event of its kind in the world, and sees weapons manufacturers and representatives of many of the world’s most repressive regimes hob-nobbing together, and making arms deals. There are always protests at DSEI, and this year the Campaign Against the Arms Trade are calling for the specific exclusion of Israel, due to the event coinciding with their participation in the genocide in Gaza.
The Head of the ADS Group, Kevin Craven, lobbied both the UK government and Scottish government to proscribe Palestine Action, calling for the authorities to, “carefully monitor the activities of direct action groups including Palestine Action and stand ready to commit greater resource to investigate and disrupt their activities”. The group were proscribed by Labour home secretary, Yvette Cooper, only a month after Craven’s intervention.
In a second action, carried out overnight, DISMANTLE also visited the registered offices of Eagle Strategic Consulting Ltd, at International House, 45-55 Commercial Street, London E1 6BD. Windows of the building were broken, and it was plastered with paint, and graffiti.
Eagle Strategic are a weapons consultancy firm owned by Richard Applegate, who is Head of Strategy for Israel’s biggest weapons maker, Elbit UK. After a long career in the British Army, Applegate previously headed up Elbit in the UK, and is a director of their drone-manufacturing subsidiaries. The consultancy firm have a clear role in embedding Israel’s weapons trade in Britain, securing the defence contracts and government deals, which financially support the genocide in Gaza.
Two former registered addresses of Eagle Strategic were repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action, before the group was banned, leading to to the company being struck off the company register in 2025. Following the proscription of Palestine Action, Eagle Strategic are back with a new registered address.
Earlier this month, on the 10th and 11th of August, the DISMANTLE group targeted two other companies linked to the Gaza Genocide, Stemmer Imaging of Tongham, Surry, and PwC, an auditing firm used by Caterpillar.
A spokesperson for the Dismantle group said:
“Both ADS group and Eagle Strategic Consulting profit from, and fuel, the genocide in Gaza. Their complicity will not be met with complacency by the general public. Direct action is a powerful tool which we will continue to use against companies which enable the worst crimes against humanity in Palestine.”