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On 16^th April 2025, two Palestine Action activists occupy the roof of GRiD Systems, who are a key supplier to Elbit, Israel’s biggest weapons maker. GRiD, located at Holtspur Lane, High Wycombe, manufacture electronic hardware, including a range of military computers and processors.

In addition to supplying Elbit, GRiD provide key components to other arms manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin. manufacturers of F-35 ‘fighter’ jets, Leonardo, who produce Apache attack helicopters, and Instro Precision who make weapons sights, target acquisition systems, and electronic optics systems. All of these companies are suppliers to the Israeli military, and are fully complicit in Genocide. Disrupting the Genocidal supply chain, and thus saving lives in Gaza, was the purpose of the action.

The two activists, Audrey and Jessica, scaled the factory roof in the early hours, covering the front of the entrance in symbolic blood-red paint, and allegedly causing £100,000 of damage to the building. The rooftop occupation forced GRiD to cease production, and close the plant for the day.

From the roof of the GRiD factory, Audrey explained: “The UK is legally obliged under multiple conventions, and most recently the International Court of Justice, the literal highest court in the world, ruled that all countries must do everything in their power to prevent this genocide, and at a minimum have an arms embargo with Israel, which of course, the UK and other countries, have failed to comply with. So, it is only up to moral citizens of conscience to take action ourselves, and to shut these factories down ourselves. We are clearly not the criminals, the people who work in this building, the people who work for Elbit, and anyone who supplies the Israeli military, are the real criminals.”

The police’s response was characteristically dramatic and heavy-handed, having been granted license by Keir Starmer, who is in hock to the Israeli government, who have demanded tougher action to defend the arms manufacturers. Starmer has even had direct meetings with Elbit. A huge number of police attended, before the two activists were eventually arrested, and taken into custody.

Commenting on the huge police presence, Jessica said: “The police are always going to protect the profits of the establishment, and right now that is exactly what they are doing. And the profits of this particular establishment go to blowing up kids and killing people in Palestine. They go to horrific war crimes, and yet, let’s see, there’s like, I think nearly 11 cars that I’ve counted…To say, actually, you know what, we don’t really care about that over there, but what we care about is you, you are opposing a genocide.”

On 17^th April, the activists were brought before High Wycombe Magistrate’s Court, charged with burglary and criminal damage. While Jessica was released on court bail, Audrey, who was already on bail for a paint action on the Ministry of Defence’s London Headquarters in April 2024, was remanded in custody. She became Palestine Action’s 20^th political prisoner on Palestinian Prisoners Day.

A Palestine Action spokesperson said: “While Israel commits war crimes by the hour, and Starmer and Lammy look the other way, ordinary people are prepared to risk their liberty to try and bring a halt to the slaughter. It is not they who should be in the dock, but the craven and corrupt British politicians who have actively assisted Israel in committing Genocide. 

“We will not be intimidated or terrorized by Police State tactics, and imprisonment without trial. We will continue to do everything we can to save Palestinian lives in Gaza, by shutting down the weapons manufacturers profiting from the spilling of innocent blood. History will be our judge, and it will also judge those with blood, rather than paint, on their hands. Free Palestine.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

If you would like any further information on Palestine action, please contact media@palestineaction.org

Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals formed with the mandate of taking action against the sites of Elbit Systems and other companies complicit in Israeli apartheid, calling for all such sites to be shut down.