Gaza day of action: BAE Systems targeted - TWICE
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

In response to a call by the UK No Borders network, it appears that the BAE Systems factory in Middleton/Greater Manchester had its entrances blockaded by two separate groups on the same day! Two unrelated posts on indymedia [2] take responsibility for actions that saw the gates to the factory locked with motorbike chains and bicycle D-locks in the morning of 27 April. BAE was also picketed by London No Borders.

Both groups refer to the No Borders call to 'break the siege of Gaza' by targeting those profiting from the border regime that prevents the free movement in and out of Gaza. No Borders had called for actions not in support of a supposed national collectivity, but simply in support of people's freedom of movement.



To hear it from those who took action:

People have a right to live without fear, racism and nationalism. Activists on the protest call for an end to border controls and act in solidarity with the international No Borders network.


The people driving the cars that will be delayed will almost certainly be grateful to have their jobs, anxious to keep them, even while they would probably have prefered to stay in bed. We are not attacking them. We are attacking the system that drives ordinary people to sell their time making the means to imprison and kill other ordinary people, in Palestine and around the world. Work or you're fucked: it's not a choice, it's a threat.


Well done!

No Borders UK called for action on the 27th April and an immediate opening
of Israeli and Egyptian borders with Gaza. Targets included those profiting
from the siege such as BAE, G4S, Caterpillar, EDO, Raytheon in solidarity
with groups in resistance on both sides of the border,Anarchists Against
the Wall, the "Sarvanim" Refuseniks of Israel, Free Gaza, and the
International Solidarity Movement. Freedom of movement for all!

On the 27th April BAE systems was the main target. The BAE factory in
Middleton, Manchester, was blockaded early on the morning of 27 April in
solidarity with the No Borders day of action to break the siege of Gaza...
a blockade that was later reinforced by another autonomous group! A
variety of locks and chains were used in order to seal off several
entrances to the plant and disrupt work.

The Israeli government is a customer of BAE, which makes border control
and surveillance systems as well as traditional weapons and the production
of military air 'solutions'. Gaza's borders have been closed since 5
February, 2009, following the Israeli attacks. These policies towards Gaza
are not only human rights violations, they are money-making opportunities
for companies like BAE.

In London No Borders activists also targeted BAE by conducting a picket
at the companies headquarters. The protest intended to draw attention to the British company’s profiting from the suffering and death of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and especially from the recent Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s sustained and
brutal military attack on Gaza which killed 1400 Palestinians and wounded
over 7000.

BAE, part of which was formerly the national company British Aerospace, is
a weapons manufacturer, and supplies components for combat aircraft used
by the Israeli military in offensive actions, such as Apache bomber-helicopters and F-16 bomber-jets. Last week, Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Milliband officially admitted that Israeli weapons used in Gaza “almost certainly” contained UK-supplied components, and cited BAE’s involvement.

BAE receive subsidies from the UK government in the form of export credits
and promotion. Although British arms exports account for only 1.5% of UK
exports and 0.2% of British jobs, the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has
more staff working on promoting the arms industry than all other
industries together, and BAE tops the list of British companies receiving
export credits, meaning the government guarantees arms payments to BAE in
case a foreign client defaults.

The siege continues.....freedom of movement for all!

Posted byManchester No Borders at 11:43 AM  

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