Above photo: Bit.ly/SiegeMedia.
This morning, Palestine Action activists targeted the premises of Kuehne + Nagel, a global transport and logistics company known to partner with Elbit Systems. The activists smashed their way into the building, and covered the premises in spray paint, while taking apart office equipment including phones and computers. The office, at the Meridian Business Park, Braunstone Town, Leicester, is only across from the UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS) factory to which actionists are currently laying siege [1].
A whistle blower from Kuehne + Nagel employee alerted Palestine Action to the extent of their company’s involvement with U-TacS, the drone-making brand ran by Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems. The tip-off confirmed that Kuehne + Nagel provide U-TacS with transportation and logistical support, facilitating the manufacture of Israeli drone technologies.
This morning’s action succeeded in disrupting Kuehne + Nagel and dismantling Elbit’s supply-chain, despite the business park being swarmed with police. While police have attended the site of U-TacS in huge numbers throughout the past 12 days, activists were this morning able to enter Kuehne + Nagel’s offices, dismantle the premises, and then leave.
Along with partnerships held with Elbit, the company supplying 85% of Israel’s drones and land based military equipment [3], Kuehne + Nagel played a historical role in trafficking weapons to Apartheid South Africa, bolstering the regime in the 1980s [4]. According to the Anti-Apartheid Movement, these shipments were even sent to South Africa via Israel.
While the company is a giant of logistics and freight, their operations involve a range of weapons and armaments shipping and logistics. They are one of only six companies licensed for the secure collection, delivery, and disposal of firearms and weapons in Britain [5], and have expansive aerospace operations [6]. They are currently involved in a 13 year logistics improvements programme with the MOD [7], along with having partnerships and contracts with arms manufacturers including Leonardo [8] and Thales [9], both of whom Palestine Action has shut down previously in its determined disruption of British supplies to Israel [10, 11].
This action, and the Leicester siege more widely, come at a time of heightened aggression by Israel against Palestinians in the West Bank, 30 of whom have been killed by Israeli bombing in this week alone, along with 90 injured [12]. Palestine Action have stated:
“Kuehne and Nagel should have known that by working with Elbit they are supporting murder and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians: making the deliveries or overseeing the logistics is a direct contribution to Israel’s weapons supply chain. All companies must cease their profiteering from Palestinian bloodshed, or Palestine Action will cease it for them.”