Drone Factory Stormed by Pro-Palestinian Protesters

A pro-Palestinian group breached the gates of a factory in England it says manufactures drones for the Israeli military, telling Newsweek it was spurred to do so following the fatal blast at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza.

Palestine Action shared images on social media on Wednesday of the protest at the UAV Tactical Systems factory (U-TacS) in Leicester, Leicestershire. It is a subsidiary of Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems and French multinational firm Thales.

The site has long been at the scene of protests by the group that it claims makes drones for the Israeli military. A spokesperson for the firm told Newsweek in a statement, "to be absolutely clear, U-TacS does not supply the Israeli military or Israeli Ministry of Defense. Any claims to the contrary are completely false."

One video Palestine Action posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, shows two people holding the Palestinian flag on top of a van surrounded by red paint, smashed glass, smoke and a police car arriving at the scene.

The group told Newsweek that by driving through the barricades at the factory on Wednesday, its activists "have prevented the site from operating" by positioning the vehicle "so that the gates can't be closed."

It said that activists lit flares, unfurled banners and Palestinian flags and "ensured that anyone involved with UAV Tactical Systems' collaboration with Israel is not permitted to forget the blood that they have spilled."

Images provided to Newsweek show police surrounding the activists.

It linked the action to the blast on Tuesday night at a hospital in Gaza that Palestinian officials have blamed on Israel and which has prompted protests around the world. Israel has denied involvement in the incident that killed 500 people and presented what it says is evidence that the devastating explosion was caused by a misfiring rocket from inside Gaza launched by Islamic Jihad.

Local news outlet This Is Leicestershire reported that the factory had been at the center of "numerous protests" over the years, most recently in May, when police blocked the road throughout the road with a metal barricade.

The statement by U-TacS' described the act as "highly irresponsible and it is fortunate that no one was seriously injured," adding that it was "confident that our operations will continue unaffected."

"This group is using misinformation as a tactic to recruit people to join them and commit acts that could have serious legal consequences for those individuals."

Matthew Cobb, spokesman for Leicestershire Police, told Newsweek that officers arrived at the site at 7:50 a.m. after a vehicle driven by protesters breached the gate, "causing criminal damage to the surrounding area and other vehicles."

"Protesters remain on top of the vehicle and police are engaging with them to bring the incident to a safe close," Cobb said. "We have commenced an investigation into what has happened and will be identifying and arresting those who have broken the law."