Five anti-Israel vandals were arrested on Christmas Day for attempting to tunnel through a Elbit Systems-linked UK factory wall using hammers and chisels, according to the Staffordshire Police and Palestine Action.
The Wednesday incident saw the Palestine Action vandals riding the basket of cherry pickers while smashing and removing bricks from the wall of the UAV Engines Limited Lichfield District factory, according to footage published by the activist group. The cherry picker’s cabs were barricaded with barbed wire and metal grates to prevent police from entering the vehicles.
In videos posted by Palestine Action on Instagram, police and security could be seen observing the vandals damage the Shenstone parish facility. Eventually, police managed to drag away the recalcitrant vandals.
The five vandals aged between 20 to 60 were released on bail, police said, investigations continued into alleged crimes including aggravated trespass, criminal damage to property, conspiring to destroy or damage property, and locking onto an object to cause serious disruption.
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Palestine Action celebrated the release of their activists, sharing a video on Thursday of the suspects holding a Palestinian flag while chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and that “Palestine is Arab.”
The vandals targeted UAV Engines Limited because of its affiliation with Israeli defense firm Elbit. Several officers are listed on a UK government registry as having an Elbit correspondence address.
“With over a year of an escalation of genocide in Gaza and over 76 years of occupation, it’s up to ordinary people to take direct action to end our complicity,” Palestine Action wrote on social media on Wednesday. “No matter the amount of state repression, we will continue to resist for the Palestinian people. Ultimately, we will complete our mission of bringing an end to Elbit’s presence in Britain.”
One of the activists claimed that the UAVs were part of “the UK’s campaign” to bomb innocent people in Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza.
Previous targeting of the site
This is not the first time the site has been targeted by anti-Israel activists. On November 25, police said offers arrested two women suspected of a “lock-on” protest, after responding to calls stating that the entrance of the factory had been “being blocked off.” According to Palestine Action, two activists were arrested after they locked themselves into a car to blockade the facility gates.
On Friday, Bryn Higgs, 60, arrived at North Staffordshire Justice Centre and was taken into custody for his protests at the same factory on July 31. The Ullapool resident was charged with locking onto an object to cause serious disruption, conspiring to destroy or damage property, and criminal property damage.
Since 2020, Palestine Action has engaged in a vandalism campaign against Israel-linked businesses and organizations to pressure companies to terminate their relationships with Israel.