“We want Elbit Systems out of Ulm, Koblenz and Berlin” say group Shut Elbit Down Deutschland
~ Cristina Sykes ~
About three dozen activists on Friday (8 August) blocked the entrances to an Elbit production site in Ulm, Germany belonging to Elbit Systems in Ulm. Some of them used lock-ons and glue to prevent access to the factory. The group of activists kept the blockade for as long as possible until police dismantled it.
Elbit System the largest Israeli private weapons manufacturer and the target of the international campaign demanding the closure of their factories for their complicity in crimes against humanity including apartheid and genocide in Gaza. Elbit supplies the Israeli military with 85% of its drones and also manufactures ammunition, communications, and surveillance systems. Elbit Systems revenue rose by 14% to £5bn in 2024 compared to the previous year.
“We want Elbit Systems out of Ulm, Koblenz and Berlin”, said a spokesperson from Shut Elbit Down Deutschland, who noted Ulm’s connection to the Scholl siblings of the White Rose anti-Nazi underground. The activists from also demanded that the German government instate a comprehensive military embargo against Israel, and an immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza.
In the UK, Elbit has closed three more of it sites since 2022. In addition, the British recruitment agency iO Associates and the property manager of Elbit’s drone factory in Shenstone have terminated their cooperation, and the insurance company AXA has completely divested from it. The activists in Germany condemned insurance giant Allianz, which still owns Elbit shares and is involved in insuring its factories.
Photos: @justicepav on Instagram
