PRESS RELEASE
16/06/2021
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nine activists from Palestine Action pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage and burglary, at Bristol Crown Court on 15th June 2022. Their charges follow a direct action taken at the Bristol Headquarters of Israel’s largest arms company, to commemorate Nakba Day on the 15th May 2022. Two activists, Ronnie Barkan and Stavit Sinai, who are both foreign nationals, were imprisoned since the action and were granted bail at the plea hearing yesterday. Their conditions for bail involve surrendering their Israeli passports, a 10PM curfew, electronic tag, and non-association with their co-defendants.
The 1948 Nakba saw Zionist militia ethnically cleanse 800,000 Palestinians (more than half of the indigenous population of Palestine), over 500 Palestinian towns and villages destroyed, and many more killed. The ongoing project to displace, oppress and massacre Palestinians continues to this day, and is made possible by companies such as Elbit Systems. Elbit is Israel’s largest arms company, who develop their weapons on the captive population of Gaza. This allows them to market their military products as “battle-tested”, and gain lucrative contracts with other regimes.
The nine activists broke into Elbit’s Bristol HQ, barricaded themsleves inside, and destroyed equipment belonging to the arms corporation. In an unprecedented crackdown for Palestine Action, the 9 activists were remanded to prison, despite the fact 6 were initially granted bail by a magistrates judge, which was appealed immediately by the Crown Prosecution Service. After a week, 7 activists were released from prison, with an electronic tag, 7PM-7AM curfew, orders to show police any devices which they use to access the internet, and not to associate with one another. Yesterday, these conditions were relaxed, removing their electronic tag, non internet orders, and curfews.
A Palestine Action Spokesperson said:
“We are delighted to welcome the release of our political prisoners. However, the courts and state have mistakenly treated Palestine Action activists as criminals, and failed to investigate the crimes against humanity Elbit Systems is directly facilitating. No matter what tactics the state use to try and crush our movement, we will only grow stronger and more determined to #ShutElbitDown”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
If you would like any further information on Palestine action, please contact info@palestineaction.org
Supporters of the prisoners can send in letters to: palactprisoners@protonmail.com
Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals formed with the mandate of taking direct action against Elbit Systems’ UK locations at grassroots level, calling for them all to be shut down and for the British government to end its complicity in Israeli apartheid.
For previous actions please see: https://www.palestineaction.org/news/
ELBIT SYTEMS
Company profile on Elbit Systems: https://whoprofits.org/company/elbit-systems/
Detail on Al-Aqsa mosque attacks: Israel storms Al-Aqsa, beats Palestinian worshipers to make way for Jewish settlers – Mondoweiss
Bombardment of Gaza: Israel strikes Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket as tensions soar in Jerusalem – CBS News
Role of Elbit drone in killing of four children paying on Gaza beach in 2014: https://theintercept.com/2018/08/11/israel-palestine-drone-strike-operation-protective-edge/
More on the death and destruction inflicted by Elbit’s drones upon Gaza: https://corporatewatch.org/elbit-systems-company-profile-2/
BRISTOL ACTION
15th May 2022: Palestine Action Smash Elbit’s Bristol HQ for Nakba
18th May 2022: Nine Palestine Action Activists Remanded in Prison After Nakba Day Action
24th May 2022: Palestine Action Activists Denied Bail, Remain in Prison