Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

manchester Indymedia

BAE systems blockaded for Role in Gaza Siege

Break the Siege | 27.04.2009 05:48 | Anti-militarism | Migration | Palestine

This morning activists from Break the Siege! blockaded BAE systems factory in Middleton, Manchester. Using motorbike chains and D-locks they obstructed the plant by sealing off several entrance points. A banner was also hung which read: ‘BAE profits from the siege on Gaza’. This direct action was a response to a call for a day of action by the No Borders network.

Break the siege! BAE Systems Middleton Targeted for role in Gaza siege.

This morning activists from Break the Siege! blockaded BAE systems factory in Middleton, Manchester. Using motorbike chains and D-locks they obstructed the plant by sealing off several entrance points. A banner was also hung which read: ‘BAE profits from the siege on Gaza’. BAE calls itself 'The Systems Company Innovating for a Safer World' but there is no safety for those under siege in Gaza.

The war in Gaza is apparently over, yet people are dying everyday because of this most brutal of border controls. Israel and Egypt shut all borders on the 5th February. Egypt said it will close the Rafah border indefinitely as Gaza is an 'occupied territory'. The activists demand for an immediate opening of all borders with Gaza, beyond the occasional ‘border open day’. Sasha Jenkins who was on the protest said: “Arms manufacturers such as BAE go unchallenged and are funded by our government. We are all complicit in the situation in Gaza. The siege is a clear example of the terrifying logic of border controls when taken to the extreme.”

BAE systems are the largest arms-manufacturer in the world and are profiting directly by upholding the border regime in Gaza.

Nearly 1.5 million Palestinians live in Gaza and the population density is nearly 20,000 people per square mile, one of the highest in the world. Over one-half of its residents are children. Despite this, international attempts at providing aid have been denied by those implementing the siege. Movement of people, medical supplies and food has been fatally restricted.

People have a right to live without fear, racism and nationalism. Activists on the protest call for an end to border controls and act in solidarity with the international No Borders network. ‘Break the siege!’ also supports groups in resistance on both sides of the border, from Anarchists Against the Wall in Israel, and the "Sarvanim" Refuseniks of Israel, to Free Gaza, and the International Solidarity Movement. This direct action was a response to a call for a day of action by the No Borders network.

A spokesperson from the group said: “BAE must be held accountable for their role in the siege and we encourage other groups to take action against them. The war is not over, and we should not turn our backs on the people of Gaza.”

Break the Siege
- e-mail: gazasiege2009@googlemail.com

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. nice one! — noborderer
  2. Well done! — Impressed

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Manchester Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Manchester Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Manchester Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Manchester Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Manchester Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Manchester Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Manchester Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Manchester Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Manchester Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech