Sheffield-based protest group Stop Arming Israel says its activists this morning once again blockaded the River Don site of weapons manufacturer Forged Solutions. The action follows the group’s previous blockades of the same site in August and of the company’s Meadowhall factory in July.

Protesters halted traffic entering the River Don site, standing in front of the gates with banners, chants and speeches denouncing the company’s complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. Despite a heavy police presence, they continued turning cars and lorries away until 8am. Later in the morning, a larger protest organised by local pro-Palestine groups gathered outside Forged Solutions’ Meadowhall site.

The blockade formed part of a national day of action against the F-35 fighter jet, currently being used by Israel in its ongoing assault on Gaza. Called by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the coordinated actions also targeted F-35 supply-chain sites in Brough, Cheltenham, Havant and Rochester, demanding a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.

“We’ve lobbied the council and mayoral authority countless times about Sheffield’s complicity”, said one participant, “Two years into this genocide, campaigning is not enough—we must halt the activities of these factories and disrupt the supply chain”.