As you have seen on here before, UK Palestine Action thugs love to “protest” Israeli-businesses operating in the UK or businesses that they say “are directly complicit in Israel’s ongoing military occupation and subsequent colonization of Palestine and the ethnic cleansing of its people.” Or something.
They are up to their old tricks, this time causing extensive damage to a factory, causing a nearby school to be locked down because of their shenanigans. And locals are not happy.
Members of Palestine Action, opposed to the occupation of Palestine by Israel, attacked Teledyne Labtech Ltd, an American-owned weapons plant based on Presteigne’s Broadaxe Business Park, early on Friday.
Protestors smashed their way in at around 7.30am. Armed with sledgehammers and wearing balaclavas, they broke windows and doused the outside of the building in red paint, before gaining access to the building and destroying computers.
Two protestors took to the roof but were eventually talked down by police around 11am, with Dyfed Powys Police confirming a 34-year-old man and 39-year-old woman were arrested after leaving the roof.
They remain in police custody, with the force stating that four arrests were made in total.
John Beddoes School, on nearby Broadaxe Lane, was locked down during the incident, with pupils eventually sent home for the day, while Joe Deakins Road, which runs outside the business park, was shut, with police and firefighters a heavy presence throughout the day.
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Palestine Action released a statement, saying the protest was a result of Labtech’s involvement in supplying military hardware to Israel – but Presteigne residents were left unimpressed.
One man who lives near to the factory said: “It’s ridiculous and pathetic. How will this help them?”
Another man, who wished to remain anonymous, told us: “I know the company makes circuit boards, but it’s stupid, I don’t agree with what they’re doing at all. It will upset our friends who’ve got kids at the school.
“They have a cause but I think the action is pointless. The Israelis need the radar to spot the rockets they keep launching into Israel, so I’d say it’s a worthy cause (the work done at Labtech). Apparently, they didn’t even attack the part of the factory that makes the chips for radar.
“It’s local people that are worst affected, the number of good employers around here is few and far between.”
A woman who also lives nearby and was left wondering if she would be able to return home asked: “Why couldn’t they have a clear protest, why did they have to cause all that damage?
“I don’t understand them and I’m not interested (in their cause). There’s more things going wrong in this country.
“I don’t believe in what they’re doing. It’s a free country and I believe in protesting but there’s no need for causing damage. It’s the local workers who will be worst affected.”
The secondary school was deserted around midday, with one remaining member of staff confirming that staff and pupils had been sent home for security reasons. “We did what we were told by the authorities,” they said.
“All the children were safe and everyone was fine. We know there were armed police and a helicopter (on the scene). To put our school children in any form of danger is what I don’t agree with.”
These people truly are ridiculous and pathetic.
