https://arab.news/4qf6g
- Group called Palestinian Martyrs smashed into Moog Aircraft Group facility
- Members say company was targeted because it supplies F-35 parts to Israel
LONDON: Four people in the UK were arrested after a group of pro-Palestine activists broke through the gates of a defense manufacturer on Tuesday, The Independent reported.
Footage released by a group called Palestinian Martyrs shows members breaking into the Moog Aircraft Group factory in the city of Wolverhampton at 3:50 a.m.
Activists set off red flares and climbed on to the roof of the facility after smashing through two white barriers using a four-wheel drive.
The factory suffered major damage to sky lights and solar panels, Staffordshire Police said in a statement, adding that four people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
“A number of individuals had entered a manufacturing building and gained access to the roof,” the statement said.
“Officers, along with colleagues from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, were deployed to the scene and four individuals were arrested.
“This is an ongoing investigation and we would ask members of the public to avoid the site at this time.”
Moog was targeted by Palestinian Martyrs because it produces critical parts used in the F-35 jet program, the activists said.
Israel has used the F-35, which is produced through a global consortium, extensively in its war on Gaza.
One activist said: “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.”
More than 700 people in the UK have been arrested since July 5 for showing support for Palestine Action, another group that has also carried out direct action demonstrations against defense firms supplying the Israeli military.
Palestine Action was listed as a terrorist organization and banned last month. Almost 70 people have been charged under the UK’s Terrorism Act for publicly showing support for the group.