Activists from Palestine Action Underground targeted Digital Office Group in Leicester, suppliers of office equipment for the city’s Israeli weapons factory, UAV Tactical Systems (U-TacS). The anonymous contingent broke windows and air conditioning units, whilst spraying red paint to symbolise the blood shed of the Palestinian people by Israeli weapons. This action took place during the fourth month of the ongoing siege outside U-TacS.
Over the past few months, Digital Office Group was spotted several times supplying equipment to U-TacS. As part of the campaign to shut down the Leicester weapons factory, activists are targeting all companies who facilitate U-TacS production of Israeli weaponry. Last week, another anonymous group targeted Thales’ headquarters in Doncaster, leaving the site shattered and covered in red paint [1] . Previously, Kuehne+Nagel, Edwards accountants and Precision Facilities Management were also targeted over their ongoing deals with U-TacS [2][3].
U-TacS is a drone factory owned and operated by Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems, in partnership with French arms firm Thales. Its flagship product is the Watchkeeper drone, modelled on the Hermes 450 after the latter was “battle-tested” on Palestinians [4]. The company boast that the Watchkeeper allegedly operated for over 100,000 hours over Afghanistan and Iraq [5]. Despite insisting that they only sell to the British military, U-TacS, in fact, export around £5 million worth of military equipment to Israel yearly, consisting primarily of drones and/or drone components, along with targeting and surveillance technologies, and other military equipment [6].
Palestine Action Underground have vowed to continue their actions until targeted companies make a public statement that they’re no longer associated with Elbit Systems.