Palestine Action activists block entrance to Israeli arms factory in Kent

Palestine Action activists have blocked off all entrances to the Instro Precision factory in Discovery Park on Monday, once again shutting down the Kent factory of Israeli company Elbit Systems.

Activists used vehicles to block the entrances, as well as climbing on top of security boxes and the ledge of Discovery Park House. The factory has been covered in red paint, which the group says symbolises "Palestinian bloodshed".

The factory is believed to manufacture military drones, pilotless aircraft and other weapons technology for Israel as it wages its devastating 11-month-long war on Gaza, which has so far killed 41,020 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are innocent civilians.

Palestinian Action says that many of the weapons or components used in weaponry manufactured by Elbit at the Kent site are not covered by the UK government’s recent decision to suspend some arms export licences to Israel for use in military operations in Gaza.

Only 30 such arms licenses to Israel have been suspended by the UK out of 350 in total. This means that 90 percent of the UK’s weapons sales and supplies to Israel remain intact.

The suspended items include key components that go into Israeli military aircraft, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones as well as items that facilitate ground targeting,

The UK government has determined that these weapons might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in Gaza.

However, Palestine Action activists claim that Elbit was manufacturing weapons sight and target acquisition technology that will be used in the course of Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave.

This is not the first time the Elbit factory in Kent has been targeted by activists, with protests outside and attacks on the property occurring on a regular basis since the beginning of the war in October last year.

At least 16 activists associated with Palestine Action are currently in prison for offences involving the action against Elbit and other acts of civil disobedience.