“Judge acquits two #Palestine Action protesters who shut down a #drone factory because their actions were ‘proportionate’”

By Steve Topple in @thecanaryuk

#A judge has acquitted two #PalestineAction activists after they blockade the entrance to a drone engine-making factory that supplies #ElbitSystems, #Israel’s largest privately owned arms company. Crucially, the judge let them off using a precedent of proportionality versus what they were protesting – that is, the pair’s actions were reasonable compared to what the drones would have done in the #OccupiedTerritories.

Back in September 2022, Jasmine and Iola were protesting at #UAVEngines Ltd, which is owned by #Elbit Systems. This was part of an ongoing activist camp at the site in #Shenstone. #UAV specialises in making engines for combat drones.

Palestine Action said in a press release that:

Elbit openly market these as ‘battle-tested’ on the Palestinian population. The #Hermes450 aircraft has been used to surveil and attack the people of #Gaza for over a decade, decimating thousands of lives.”

#Israel #Apartheid #ApartheidIsrael #WarCrimes #CrimesAgainstHumanity #Racism #Zionism #SettlerColonialism #ChildMurder #ChildTorture #CollectivePunishment #Nakba #EthnicCleansing #Genocide

https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/08/31/palestine-action-activists-acquitted-elbit-uav-engines/?__s=pw3ygmyxve9etudpqdrh