2023 started off with a seminal victory for the direct action solidarity group, Palestine Action (PA). The group focuses their campaigning efforts to occupy armaments factories that help supply the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in their oppression of the Palestinian people and the apartheid occupation of Palestinian territories.
It is through such efforts that arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, shut down its factory in Oldham after several months of campaigning described in PA’s website: “The victory came after an 18 month direct action battle waged against Elbit’s Ferranti factory in Oldham, which saw 36 arrests and millions of pounds of cumulative damage caused. Despite round-the-clock police patrols and massively heightened security, the efforts of Israel’s largest arms firm to protect their beloved weapons factory failed.” [1]
After the Oldham site shut down, PA left no time for resting on their laurels, they moved straight to targeting Elbit’s factory in Shenstone using similar tactics. Such activities include acts of vandalism (positive acts of vandalism) such as painting factories red, smashing windows etc. The actions are designed to create as much disruption as possible to erode the possibility of a productive working day supplying the Israeli war machine.
The forces of the state reacted by raiding a PA camp in Staffordshire where rapper and activist, Lowkey was due to perform. In total, 14 activists were arrested in the raid with allegations evidence was planted to build a case for ‘conspiracy to commit criminal damage.’ [2]
The Workers Party is unequivocal in its support for the Palestinian liberation struggle and opposition to Zionism as a violently racist ideology. The Workers Party is also honoured to receive Lowkey as a guest speaker at the No2Nato rally in London this year on the 25th February.
- From actions to victory: 2022 saw Palestine Action’s rise and Elbit’s demise (https://www.palestineaction.org/2022-actions-victory/)
- Activists Unlawfully Arrested in Raids on Palestine Action Camp (https://www.palestineaction.org/raid-on-camp/)