Pro-Palestine protesters lie in street to cease staff accessing manufacturing unit
- Palestine Action blocked the street to cease staff attending to Elbit Systems
Pro-Palestine protesters lay within the street in a bid to dam staff accessing a manufacturing unit in Leicester that the group claims provides Israel with weapons.
Palestine Action coated the street with their our bodies to stop staff attending to Elbit Systems at Meridian Business Park this morning.
Their new technique resembles that of eco protest group Just Stop Oil, who is understood for inflicting visitors chaos by enjoying useless or sluggish marching throughout rush hour.
In a press release on X, previously often known as Twitter, Palestine Action mentioned: ‘Palestine Action lock-on to lock-out the workforce and block each side of the street resulting in Leicester’s Israeli weapons manufacturing unit #ShutElbitDown.
‘Join us at Meridian East, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 – Together, we’ll #ShutElbitDown!’
Footage reveals the protesters shouting ‘Shut Elbit down’ as they stretch out their our bodies to dam automobiles driving previous.
Leicestershire Police mentioned a 24-year-old man and a 23-year-old lady had been arrested on suspicion of public order offences and remained in custody.
Two activists lay on the bottom hooked up by way of a lock-on, blocking the street to visitors this morning
Specialist cops launch the activists from the lock-ons through the protest in the present day
Palestine Action coated the street with their our bodies to stop staff attending to Elbit Systems at Meridian Business Park this morning
An activist is hooked up to a lock-on within the physique of a van on the southern a part of Meridian East
The drive mentioned the arrests got here after they acquired a report of a bunch of individuals blocking two entrances to the location – with some locking themselves on to automobiles.
Palestine Action claims the manufacturing unit provides UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS) weapons to Israel.
But Elbit denied this declare, regardless of the manufacturing unit being a standard website for protests from the group.
A UAV Tactical Systems spokesperson mentioned the UK subsidiary assisted within the manufacturing of drones for the British Army and didn’t provide the Israeli army, in keeping with the BBC.
The group has beforehand focused the places of work of French weapons maker Thales in London in addition to the Leonardo UK website in Southampton, it was reported.
A spokesperson for U-TacS mentioned: ‘We will work with the authorities to prosecute any particular person or group threatening the security of our employees or their vital work offering crucial help to the British armed forces. We are assured that our operations will proceed unaffected in the present day.
‘To be completely clear, U-TacS doesn’t provide the Israeli army or Israeli Ministry of Defence. Any claims on the contrary are utterly false.’
‘This group is utilizing misinformation as a tactic to recruit folks to affix them and commit acts which may have severe authorized penalties for these people.’
MailOnline has contacted Leicestershire Police for remark.
An indication reads ‘Shut Elbit down’, echoing what the protesters shouted as they lay on the bottom
Activists lay on the bottom hooked up by way of a lock-on, blocking the street to visitors
An activist is hooked up to a lock-on within the physique of a van with an officer standing close to
An activist is hooked up to a lock-on within the physique of a van, with police in attendance
Specialist cops launch the activists from the lock-ons through the protest in the present day
