Edinburgh pro-Palestine protesters blockade Leonardo UK factory at Crewe Toll
The group has staged similar protests several times over the last three years
Masked protesters from the group Stop Arming Israel have blockaded the Leonardo UK factory at Crewe Toll on Wednesday morning.
The campaigners have targeted the aerospace defence company’s factory several times in the last three years, demanding it drops its involvement with F-35 fighter jets produced by US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
They claim Leonardo UK make components for the F-35 aircraft, which they say has been used by Israel in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
Leonardo has said previously it is subject to the UK Government’s export controls and that it does not supply equipment directly to Israel.
In a post on Instagram, the group said: “It's been over three years since the escalation of the Zionist occupation into a genocide in Gaza, and our government has still refused to stop sending weapons to Israel.
“We have taken matters into our own hands to enforce an embargo from below by blockading the Leonardo factory!
“Despite the so-called ceasefire, Israel continues to commit massacres, inflicting airstrikes in Gaza and continuing to dispossess and encroach on Palestinian land in the West Bank.”
They described the protects as a “peaceful mass action” and said there was no intention of arrests.
Leonardo UK and Police Scotland have been contacted for comment.