Elbit leaves Oldham after sustained campaign
'Protestors claim that the Elbit Ferranti factory provides specialist military technologies for Israel’s fleet of combat drones.'
Peace campaigners, including Quakers, are celebrating the news that Elbit Systems UK has sold part of its business in Oldham. Protestors claim that the Elbit Ferranti factory provides specialist military technologies for Israel’s fleet of combat drones.
The move follows eighteen months of sustained direct action at the Elbit Ferranti site in Oldham, Greater Manchester, with thirty-six people arrested, Ferranti Power and Control Business has been sold to British firm TT Electronics. There is speculation that the changes make continued operation in Oldham unfeasible.
Palestine Action claims its eighteen-month campaign, which resulted in ‘millions’ of pounds worth of damages, is the reason behind the sale. A statement said: ‘Direct action works – the brave individuals who occupied the factory over the past year can proudly say that drone technologies are no longer in production in Oldham.’
Occupations of the site have caused weeks of forced factory closure, and have included blockades and protests.
Elbit began clearing out its Oldham operation in November when anonymous sources revealed to Palestinian Action that staff at the factory had been issued with redundancy notices. Action against the site accelerated significantly since late August 2020, when protesters sprayed the premises in blood-red paint. The occupations were led by Palestine Action and later in collaboration with XR North. The Oldham Peace and Justice group and Manchester Palestine Action also held regular protests, drawing large crowds outside the factory every week.
Campaigners have pledged to target other Elbit sites in Britain.
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