Above photo: Protesters from Pal-Awda rally on October 17 outside Mini-Circuits headquarters in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Roman Broszkowski.
Palestinian solidarity activists, Israel backers face off outside Mini-Circuits HQ in Sheepshead Bay.
On June 24, 2024, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Al-Daraj clinic in Gaza City, killing five, including key medical personnel. Recovered from the ensuing rubble was the remnant of a Hellfire missile, strewn amidst the chaos of destruction it unleashed on the clinic in moments prior. The AGM-114 Hellfire, a brand of precision-guided weaponry, is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, funded through U.S. federal contracts, and often purchased by Israel through American foreign military sales. While Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor responsible for manufacturing the Hellfire missile, it procures key components from Mini-Circuits, a company specializing in the manufacture of radio frequency (RF) and microwave components. Headquartered in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay neighborhood, Mini-Circuits operates out of a low-slung, dull, cement-colored building with the company name embossed on a small and faded gray label that’s easy to miss.
“In Our Own Backyard”
Israeli airstrikes may be hitting the ground in Gaza, some 5,000 miles away from New York. But the granular mechanisms that power Israel’s genocide lie close to home. On October 17, Pal-Awda, a pro-Palestine advocacy group, organized around this precise sentiment.
The term “awda” in the group’s title translates to “return” in Arabic and refers to the UN codified right of Palestinians to return to their homeland.
At roughly 3pm, a small group of protesters gathered at the doorstep of the building, some carrying Palestinian flags, many clad in keffiyehs, and nearly all sporting face coverings. Usually open until 5pm, the headquarters doors were shuttered and its lights switched off, presumably in anticipation of the scheduled demonstration. The protestors circled the building entrance, chanting tailored variations of staple chants heard across many pro-Palestine demonstrations, amongst them, “Mini-Circuits you can’t hide, you make parts for genocide.”
In a post published on their Instagram page, Pal-Awda alleges that Mini-Circuits produces radar components utilized in a range of precision-guided missiles and fighter jets deployed in Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and across the Middle East over the past two years.
Nisreen, a Palestinian-American mother of five and a resident of Brooklyn, told The Indypendent, “In our own backyard, there are companies complicit in genocide… no one would ever suspect this little microwave company would be causing so much destruction abroad.” She says her parents often urge her to stay at home and away from any trouble as she regularly attends demonstrations across the city. “After 2023, silence is no longer an option,” she retorts. “I have five kids and I refuse to raise them to live in fear.”
A Counter-Demonstration
Numerous pro-Israel demonstrators gathered on the other end of the street, with barricades and police officers separating the two groups. Several of the counter demonstrators who are long-time residents of the Sheepshead Bay area say that Pal-Awda’s presence is not welcome in their community. “They are terrorist [sympathizers],” exclaimed Vlad, a counter-demonstrator wearing a black press vest. A makeshift float attached to a pick-up truck later circled the block, platforming a group of individuals carrying Israeli flags and cheering as they passed by the pro-Palestine group. The float carried a sign with the name of Inna Vernikov (R-Sheepshead Bay), a local Ukrainian-American city councilwoman, known for her vocal pro-Israel stance.
Fanya, one of the counter-demonstrators, cast doubts on Pal-Awda’s claims alleging Mini-Circuits’ role in weapons-manufacturing. “How would they even substantiate that?” she questioned. Records showcasing Mini-Circuit’s subcontracting role with companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for the production of weaponry are available on the HigherGov database. But Fanya says she would remain opposed to the ousting of Mini-Circuits, even if presented with the precise evidence of Pal-Awda’s claims; even in the face of the staggering civilian death toll in Gaza since October 7th. “There are no innocent Palestinians. Most of them want to kill Jews,” she says, with a woman beside her nodding in agreement.
Just The Beginning
On the other end of the street, the group of protesters from Pal-Awda, whose numbers slowly grew as the evening stretched on, continued to circle the entrance of the building. “Our goal is to shut down Mini-Circuits. We need [today’s demonstration] to be the start of something that will grow in momentum,” announced one of the organizers to the crowd.
There is precedent for weapons manufacturers closing their offices in the face of protest. The Harvard Crimson reported in October 2023 that Elbit Systems, a major Israeli weapons company, shut its doors in Cambridge, MA, after being targeted by protests organized by the Boston Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement.
Another organizer who goes by the name Mohamed says that Mini-Circuits is a worthwhile target, even though the company is a subcontractor instead of a direct manufacturer of weaponry. Given the company’s location in an accessible part of the city, it’s a matter of practicality. He says, “It’s difficult to [mobilize] the community to a location in the middle of nowhere where Lockheed may be located. But it’s a lot more doable to get the community to show up near their own neighborhoods.”
A fragile ceasefire in Gaza has given way to a renewed Israeli onslaught against Palestinians in the besieged strip. But Pal-Awda says the fight is far from over. “This is the first action we have had against Mini-Circuits. It won’t be the last,” Mohamed told The Indypendent.
Mini-Circuits did not respond to a request for comment.
