Campaigners have showcased images of children killed in Gaza last year in the latest protest outside a Shenstone factory.
The UAV Engines site has been a long-term target of activists who claim it makes engines used in drones used by the Israeli military.
Groups such as South Staffs Palestine Solidarity, Tamworth and Lichfield Extinction Rebellion, Walsall-Kobar Friendship Association, Stafford-Beit Leqya Friendship Group, West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Birmingham Stop the War took part in the latest protest today (26th April).
Campaigner Michael Davis said:
“We were all moved at today’s protest by the accounts of witnesses who were in Gaza during previous Israeli bombings, recounting horrific stories of how these weapons have torn apart entire families.
“Even now Israel has just killed another 16 Palestinians in two weeks and continues to make mass arrests, imprisoning so many Palestinian children.
“We will never turn our backs on those families and we will keep coming out until these arms companies who profit from such heartache can no longer do this business.”
Michael Davis
Previous protests at the UAV Engines site have seen damage caused to the building.
Earlier this year a rooftop protest saw windows broken and paint daubed across the factory unit.
As a Shenstone resident I am not happy that Elbit is manufacturing arms parts for Israel in its factory here – which are used to murder and maim innocent Palestinians.
We have a duty as a community to stand up for what’s right and for basic humanity and decency.
The UN, Amnesty International and numerous other humanitarian organisations have condemned Israel’s actions against civilians.
Elbit and its weapons manufacturing is not wanted in Lichfield. The factory could be used for many other things which we do need to manufacture in the UK such as electric motorbikes or solar panels.
Isabella set up a company doing what you want there are plenty of empty industrial units around then you can expand into the unit you do not like. IE put money where mouth is
Amazing to see people make a stand against companies profiting off death and destruction of innocent people.
Well said ML. These people demonstrating are just trouble making wasters who are constantly preventing hard working employees of this legitimate company from doing what they are paid to do. Normally they tend to block off the road outside the unit so it causes massive inconvenience to anyone travelling that way. Oh and there’s the police force who have to come out and sort out the trouble when the demonstrators normally start to damage the building.
Thank you to the demonstrators for what they’re doing. We should all be ashamed we have a factory making things that terrorise and kill people! I’m worried about my children’s future on this planet. They’re clearly very talented engineers working there. Why don’t they make something that will help people and save the planet?
I take my hat off to all those friends of Palestine who are continuing to fight, in the name of the children killed by Israeli armed forces (above all, in Gaza), against Elbit’s weapon-producing component factories in the UK, in our so-called democratic country.
Its hard to believe that a factory manufacturing drones which are used in attacks on families and children in Palestine, especially in Gaza, is allowed to operate in this country. I support the protestors.
I wonder if these demonstrators will hold up photos of dead and maimed innocent Israeli civilians of all ages from Hamas terrorist missile and suicide attacks. Doubt it somehow…
Thank you so much for this Action. The future of Palestine is in the hands of the International community, seems to be.
It’s unbearable to think that drones can leave that factory to be sent to israel to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Solidarity.
Does anyone know if these engines are used in drones by the Ukraine to protect their Country from the invading Russias?
Amnesty International has linked war crimes in Gaza, perpetrated by Apartheid Israel, using Elbit drones, tracing those components back to this UAV engines factory in Shenstone.
We should avoid aiding war criminals in our community. Shut it down!!!