There have been at least seven Palestine Action (PA) actions in the last two months – and a PA prisoner, Yogi Bear, was entering their fifth week on hunger strike in Foston Hall prison as we went to press.
In the latest PA action, at 6am on 12 July, two campaigners smashed windows and property inside a factory in Tamworth, Staffordshire, owned by a subsidiary of the Israeli drone manufacturer Elbit Systems. Two others occupied the roof, spraying red paint.
The activists aimed to prevent the production of parts for drones used by Israeli forces in the surveillance and bombardment of Palestinians.
The action followed a weekend of attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinians, with almost 400 injured in the West Bank town of Beita.
On 5 July, also at 6am, three PA women occupied the premises of a property management company in south-west Birmingham.
Vine Property Management maintains a Shenstone factory used by another Elbit subsidiary to make engines for Israeli drones.
There were at least five PA actions in June.
On 9 June, PA activists sprayed red paint over the front of Elbit’s landlords in London, LaSalle Investment Management.
On 10 June, PA activists occupied the Runcorn factory of APPH, which manufactures military technology and landing gear for Elbit Systems’ drones.
On 14 June, the fourth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, there was an occupation of the Arconic factory in Birmingham. Arconic supplied the cladding used on Grenfell Tower and also supplies materials used in Israeli military aircraft.
On 16 June, two PA activists were arrested after another occupation of Arconic’s Birmingham factory. After a two-day occupation of the roof, there were two more arrests.
On 21 June, PA activists occupied the Elbit Ferranti factory in Oldham, dismantling machinery, including computers Three were arrested then released without charge the next day.
Meanwhile, a PA activist, ‘Yogi Bear’, has been on hunger strike in Foston Hall prison since 14 June. They had been remanded in prison after taking part in the June occupation of an Arconic factory in Birmingham.