Activists from Palestine Action this morning (18 February) blockaded the Armstrong Works in Newcastle, a factory owned by Israeli weapons company Rafael. A vehicle was used to block both entrances to the weapons plant, with an activist locked on inside. Others climbed on top of the security box and covered the premise in blood-red paint. Rafael is Israel’s third biggest weapons firm, and owned directly by the Israeli state. At the time they acquired Pearson Engineering and Armstrong Works, in September 2022, it was described as a vital part of the “strategic expansion” of Israel’s weapons manufacturing capabilities, as well as a way of trying to get round any future arms embargoes. The site specialises in producing  armoured military vehicles and tanks, including armoured bulldozers and robotic combat vehicles. 

In September 2023 Rafael iannounced that the Newcastle factory would be playing a significant role in delivering the Samson 30mm Remote Weapons Station. These remotely-controlled killing machines include an arsenal of long-range weaponry, and are used around the perimeters of besieged Gaza and recently in Southern Lebanon. The site was previously blockaded in May 2023, shutting it down for 2 days andcausing £69,000 in damage plus £600,000 in losses. Since then, there have been regular protests outside the factory gates by local pro-Palestine activists, some of which the police have attacked violently, with arrests being made.