For years, I have intermittently attended protests at the Elbit UAV Systems factory in Shenstone. It is an Israeli company which manufactures military equipment, including 85% of the drones’ Israeli markets as “battle proven.”
Protests at the company culminated in August 2014 when nine members of London Palestine Action climbed on the roof and were arrested. Before this it was easy to avoid being served with an injunction. A polite ‘No, thank’ served.’
When I decided it was high time I protested again, I arrived too early. There was no sign of any demonstrators, just few police standing idly around. I adjourned to The Plough!
Returning to Elbit, a crowd had gathered. Stalls were being set up, a hedge festooned with posters, and Palestinian flags. I settled on the grass verge. By now I had had friendly chats with several policemen.
Two hours later and nothing much had happened. The sun shone. There was Arabic music. People meandered about, met old friends, and made new ones. Time passed. Then the police closed the road at both ends. It soon became apparent why.
A large contingent from Greater Manchester PSC arrived with drums, flags, symbolic babies wrapped in swaddling clothes, and a coffin symbolizing dead Palestinians.
West Midlands PSC reported a protest on 12 October which unusually took place on a Sunday. Around two hundred people attended, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Jews marching silently to protest the Gaza genocide.
It took Barclays Bank over 20 years of anti-apartheid protest be. fore it disinvested in South Africa. Elbit, Israel’s largest arms firm, is reportedly losing money. Never give up. Protest, protest, protest. Not because you are on the side of Israel or Palestine but because you know that the land must be shared. There must be social justice for Israelis and Palestinians within one democratic state. Palestinians and Israelis have been meeting together for some years to hammer out a common language to support this aspiration. Gradually their voices are being heard. By our actions we can support them. Amen
Angela Glendenning
5 December 2025