Pro-Palestine protestors cause chaos for third day in Staffordshire village as they besiege drone engine factory
A village is again being beseiged by protestors determined to cause chaos outside a factory which they believe makes engines for drones used by the Israeli army.
Red paint has been splattered, flags unfurled, and the factory gates defaced and blocked by protestors from outside the region who have descended on Shenstone, Staffordshire.
Staffordshire Police confirmed 13 people were arrested on Wednesday due to the protest at UAV Engines, on Lynn Lane. The road has been again closed on Thursday effectively splitting the village, recently named as the poshest in the county, in two. This is the third day of protests this week and is the latest in several disturbances at the factory in recent years.
Lichfield Police posted on Facebook: "We have arrested five people as part of our response to spontaneous protest activity in Shenstone.
"Officers were deployed following a call at 6.10am this morning (Wednesday 31 July) to ensure the safety of employees, members of the community and protesters at the site in Lichfield. We worked to balance the rights to peaceful protest against the rights of those affected by it. Where offences are committed a proportionate yet robust approach will continue to be taken.
"Lynn Lane was closed for safety reasons during the protest."
None of the arrested protestors were from the region, a 26-year-old man, from Ealing, London, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass – fail to leave land, a 22-year-old man, from Bristol, a 59-year-old man, from Ross-shire, Scotland, and 76-year-old man, from Coventry, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass – fail to leave land and locking onto a person, object or land to cause serious disruption.
A 21-year-old woman, from Bristol, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass – fail to leave land, locking onto a person, object or land to cause serious disruption and conspiring to destroy or damage property.
"All five remain in custody while our enquiries continue."
A group called Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the protests and this morning claim to be blockading the business.
A spokesman said: "The day after an action forced Elbit's UAV Engines factory in Shenstone to close down, another group from Palestine Action arrived at the site this morning to shut the factory down for a second day in a row.
"Approximately 100 protestors also rallied outside the factory on Tuesday, making today the third day of opposition to the Israeli weapons maker. Currently, six activists are using three vehicles, a car, a van and a caravan, to blockade both gates into UAV Engines Ltd. From the top of the vehicles, activists are chanting "Shut Elbit Down" whilst throwing bottles of red paint towards the building, drenching the premises in blood red paint. One activist has unfurled a banner which reads "Jews say Free Palestine"."
"Today's action has caused sustained disruption to the UAV Engines Ltd factory, a crucial part of Palestine Action's strategy to force Elbit's weapons factory to permanently close down."
A Shenstone resident, who did not want to be named, said on Thursday morning: "The road is blocked again, and the diversions are wholly inappropriate due to the narrow nature of country lanes, it will not be long before these protests cause a fatality on the road."