Two activists from the anti-Israel group Palestine Action rammed a van, heavily weighted with concrete, through the security barrier of the Baildon defence factory in Shipley, UK, on Tuesday before chaining themselves to the vehicle to hinder removal.
According to West Yorkshire Police, it took specialist units around eight hours to resolve the incident, and officers ultimately arrested a 27-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. Both have since been released on bail without conditions, reports The Jerusalem Post.
In an Instagram statement, the group declared that its aim was “to obstruct the production of crucial parts for Israeli missiles and fighter jets” and insisted, “Whilst Teledyne’s Shipley factory needs masses of technology to produce their weaponry, we only need dedication to shut them down. Together, we will defeat the Israeli weapons industry once and for all.” These remarks appeared against the backdrop of increasingly frequent antisemitic incidents, prompting heightened concern within Jewish communities.
Palestine Action, which the UK Home Office reportedly considered banning in November, has targeted businesses it alleges support or insure Israel’s defence sector. The group claimed to have vandalised 15 Allianz branches across Europe this week, smashing windows and spraying them with red paint. It has also conducted similar vehicle-ramming incidents: in July, activists drove a van into the gates of another Teledyne site in the Wirral, and in August, they used a converted prison van to breach the entrance of Elbit UK’s South Gloucestershire facility, injuring two police officers and a security guard. Observers note that these actions have intensified since the Hamas atrocities on 7 October, sparking further fears of rising antisemitism in the region.
Photo credit:PALESTINE ACTION
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