Activists from the British tenants’ union and housing rights platform ACORN organized blockades in front of the offices of three arms companies that are involved in supplying arms to Israel on Monday, November 27. Activists blockaded and protested in front of the offices of the aerospace and defense manufacturer Meggitt in Birmingham, defense and security manufacturer Leonardo in Bristol, and BAE Systems in Leeds. All three firms are involved in the production of components used in the Israeli aircraft that are being used in the bombardment of Gaza. On October 31, activists from Palestine Action had blockaded the road to the Bristol headquarters of Elbit Systems, which is notorious for manufacturing parts for Israeli drones and other pilotless aircraft.
On November 27, ACORN stated that “it will not stand by while entire communities are obliterated, while people just like us are murdered in their tens of thousands by the Israeli government. People want and deserve the same things, no matter where we are in the world — safe, happy communities, where we can live with dignity and with hope for the future. These fundamental rights have been denied to the Palestinian people for too long.”
“We demand an immediate & lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza, and an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. We call on our government to work towards a ceasefire and end all arms sales from British companies to Israel,” added the organization.
Braving the apathy of the Tory government, and provocations from the far-right, progressive groups in the UK, including leftist political groups, trade unions, community organizations, and various rights groups, have been organizing Palestine solidarity mobilizations which have already drawn hundreds of thousands of people to streets on multiple occasions. Cynical remarks on Palestinian solidarity mobilizations by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman were widely criticized and led to her dismissal.
Regarding the Palestine solidarity actions by ACORN and other groups in the UK, Workers in Palestine, a collective of 18 Palestinian Trade Unions, said: “Decisive action against the arms trade with Israel such as that taken by ACORN are critical to ending Israeli impunity. In this difficult time, our hope is in international solidarity from trade and community unions. Keep on taking action and speaking up against injustice — together we can build a better world for all.”
The death toll in Gaza is close to 15,000, most of whom are women and children. More than 36,000 people have been wounded and more than 1.7 million people have been displaced. Following widespread criticism, Israel agreed to a four-day truce with Hamas which was subsequently extended by two days.
