Activists need to build the fightback for the international day of action for Palestine on 10 October
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol, on Thursday to send a clear message to our government—stop arming genocide.
Pro-Palestine solidarity campaigners from across the country and local residents united to demand an end to the production and export of weapons used to slaughter Palestinians.
The Elbit Systems factory at Filton forms part of the supply chain for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel to commit genocide.
Sally, a protester who’d travelled on the coach from Dorset told Socialist Worker, “I’m here to oppose the supply chain that produces parts for planes and drones that contribute to the killing of children in Gaza.
“Palestine is a testing ground for arms companies and their Western backers who are making huge profits from this genocide and are waging war across the Middle East,” she said.
Another activist from Bristol echoed this. “We refuse to be silent while a genocide takes place—and while the Labour government shamefully is trying to criminalise those that dare to speak out against the murder of the Palestinians,” she said.
Annette is the mother of Maddy, one of the Filton 25 activists, who spent 18 months on remand after an alleged action at the Elbit factory in 2024. She told the crowd that those facing trial are “fighting a concerted effort to choke and asphyxiate their voices”.
“Meanwhile, Elbit boasts that their weapons are used in every Israeli operation. In their own words ‘the IDF could not operate without them’.
“Today I’m here to say no to genocide, no to expanding settlements in the West Bank and no to stealing the sovereignty of the Palestinians in their own lands,” said Annette.
Anti-arms campaigner Andrew Feinstein told the crowd, “We are here today to say, first of all, that every single person who works in this factory has a choice. They have a choice whether to work for and partake in genocide and slaughter, or to work for justice and peace.
“The government also has a choice. And Andy Burnham—Keir Starmer with a northern accent—has made his choice clear two days into his prime ministership.
“He is on the side of Israel, he is on the side of the defence companies. He is on the side of Donald Trump and the world’s biggest and most awful arms makers.”
Protesters made it clear that they were prepared to hold Burnham to account if he sought to continue Starmer’s legacy of complicity.
One activist from Weston-super-Mare, near Bristol, said that she felt that “we need to apply constant pressure, especially now that Starmer is gone.
“Because there’s no chance that Burnham will do the right thing unless we make him. He’s already agreed to let Donald Trump continue to use RAF Fairford to wage his war in Iran.”
“We really need to push Burnham to impose widespread sanctions against Israel, for a complete ban on all trade with Israel’s illegal settlements and other trade that supports its ongoing violations of international law.
“And if he doesn’t, then I say the time for civility and polite protesting is over,” she said. “The movement needs to be prepared to do what is necessary to stop these monsters.”
The protest ended with calls to build an even bigger movement capable of forcing an end to British support for Israel. Activists urged people to join local Palestine solidarity groups, back workplace organising and support further direct action against the arms trade.
Tad, a Palestine activist from Cardiff, told Socialist Worker that bringing solidarity from across the country was important to building the movement.
“Activists shouldn’t just be organising on their own patches. We should be linking up and bringing together our experiences from our local fights and uniting nationally and internationally,” he said. “We have to make ourselves ungovernable.”
This means helping build the international day of action for Palestine on 10 October. This will include a national demonstration in Britain marking the horrific milestone of three years since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza
As Israel’s assault continues, protesters vowed they will return again and again in solidarity with the Palestinian people, not only including actions like this one, but also on the streets, in their workplaces and on their campuses.
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