Four people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after a newly formed Palestine direct action group broke into a Wolverhampton weapons factory in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The group, calling itself Palestinian Martyrs for Justice, staged an overnight attack on the Moog Aircraft Group facility in Wolverhampton around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, using a vehicle to smash through two gates before climbing onto the rooftop.
Each member of the group wore a t-shirt featuring the face of a “Palestinian martyr”. The martyrs honoured were: Journalist Hossam Shabat, Professor Refaat Alareer, Surgeon Adnan Al-Bursh and child Raghd Al-Jabri.
Rooftop occupation and statement
Whilst occupying the roof, one activist wearing a t-shirt with Raghd Al-Jabri’s face declared: “We are Palestinian Martyrs for Justice, and each of us here today on the roof of Moog is wearing a t-shirt of one of the martyrs who have been murdered by Israel in the genocide.
We are Palestinian Martyrs for Justice and each of us here today on the roof of Moog are wearing a t-shirt of one of the martyrs that have been murdered by Israel in the genocide.” The activist continued: “Raghd was 17 years old when she was killed by an Israeli air strike. We are currently on the roof of Moog who are a key supplier of the F-35 chain that have been killing Palestinians in airstrikes.”
The group claimed responsibility for damaging the facility, stating: “Britain has failed to prevent the Gaza genocide. Instead, our government and companies on our doorstep continue to benefit from the destruction of Palestine.
Moog’s links to Israeli military
The action against Moog is the first by Palestinian Martyrs for Justice, establishing them as a new direct action group challenging British participation in genocide.
The activists accused Moog of supplying crucial components to Israel’s military training programme. Throughout the genocide, Moog has continued to supply Elbit Systems Israel with the parts needed to train Israeli pilots to use F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, which are used to massacre Palestinians.
Cargo documents show that an engineering firm in Wolverhampton named Moog has sent at least ten shipments to Israel’s Hatzerim airbase since December. Three of those shipments occurred last month.
The M-346 Lavi is a high-performance aircraft designed to train Israeli pilots to fly advanced fighter jets including the F-16 and F-35. Moog designed the flight control system for the M-346 Lavi, and provides maintenance services for the aircraft.
Significant damage caused
Staffordshire Police later confirmed that four individuals had been arrested “on suspicion of criminal damage offences following an incident at an industrial unit in south Staffordshire earlier today.
A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.50am today to Valiant Way, in Pendeford, following reports of criminal damage. A number of individuals had entered a manufacturing building and gained access to the roof.”
Significant damage was caused to a number of skylights and solar panels,” the police statement confirmed. Officers alongside colleagues from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service were deployed to the scene.
Links to banned Palestine Action
The emergence of the new direct-action group comes after the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Palestine Action was banned following damage to two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
Last week, British lawmakers voted to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist group after some of its members vandalized two aircraft at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire on June 20. The House of Commons voted 385-26 Wednesday in favour of banning Palestine Action and the House of Lords approved the designation Thursday without a vote.
The new group, Palestinian Martyrs for Justice, appears to have emerged to continue direct action against companies linked to Israel’s military operations, following Palestine Action’s prohibition.
UK’s continued military exports
The incident highlights ongoing controversy surrounding British military exports to Israel. The shipping documents reveal how Britain continues to support Israel’s fighter jet programme even after the Labour government introduced restrictions on arms sales last September.
The restrictions did not include components for “trainer aircraft”, meaning the UK government has attempted to create a distinction between exports for Israel’s fighter jets and supplies which help pilots to fly them.
Campaign Against Arms Trade spokesperson Emily Apple commented on the revelation: “This is the UK government directly enabling Israel to continue committing genocide. It is facilitating training the pilots to fly the combat aircraft that are dropping 2000lb bombs on children”.
Investigation ongoing
The incident remained under active investigation as of Tuesday afternoon. By mid-morning, protesters were still reportedly on the roof of the factory. Police urged members of the public to avoid the site whilst the situation was being resolved.
Moog Aircraft Group has been approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication. The US-owned company is an American-based designer and manufacturer of electric, electro-hydraulic and hydraulic motion, controls and systems for applications in aerospace, defense, industrial and medical devices.
The arrests mark the first known action by Palestinian Martyrs for Justice, suggesting the emergence of new forms of direct action protest against companies involved in supplying Israel’s military, despite increasingly severe legal penalties for such activities.
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