Members of Manchester Palestine Action (MPA) and the Manchester branch of Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) held a flash demonstration outside Oldham’s the former Ferranti factory in Waterhead on Saturday (17th September). The demonstration is the start of a campaign against Britains arms trade with Israel. Israeli’s largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, now owns four factories in the UK manufacturing components and software for its weapons and oppressive technologies.
Adie Mormech (a member of MPA & PSC) said, “The UK needs to Stop Arming Israel. This why we are demonstrating today at Oldham’s Israeli owned weapons factory. Ferranti Systems is now owned by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit, who build the weapons used by the Israeli army to oppress, injure and kill the Palestinian people. The Elbit weapons company is profiting from the deaths of so many. Elbit test theirs products on the captive Palestinian population in Gaza, that is mostly children. The campaign is backed by Campaign Against Arms Trade, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Manchester Jewish Action for Palestine, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Manchester Palestine Action. We won’t stop until they start manufacturing something useful to people instead of building components for horrifying weapons that destroy the lives of so many – all for a bit of extra profit.”
Elbit is Israel’s largest arms company. It manufactures drones, systems for military aircraft, armed remote control boats, and military land vehicles. Elbit describes its drones as “the backbone” of Israel’s drone fleet (Elbit website). These drones were extensively used by the Israeli military in the 2014 attack on Gaza (Defense News, 12.8.2014).
As well as the factory in Oldham that manufactures electronic control systems and software for military vehicles including drones, Elbit has three other plants in the UK manufacturing drone engines (Shenstone, Staffs) and power/air-conditioning systems (Tamworth,Staffs) for military vehicles, and surveillance equipment (Broadstairs, Kent).
Join the campaign to end the arms trade with Israel. There will a stall in Oldham Town Centre 12 noon -2pm on Saturday 24th September. Lets Stop Arming Israel!!!