Category: The Frontlines

On May 1st, Pal Action is starting their siege of the Elbit’s factory in Leicester.

The group states: “UAV TACTICAL SYSTEMS, owned by Elbit Systems, sends millions of pounds worth of military equipment to Israel each year, straight from the Leicester factory.”

You can join them on May 1st from 3pm at the gates of UAV Tactical Systems, Unit F Meridian East, Leicester, LE19 1TP, UK. Bring a sleeping bag and camping equipment – PalAction is planning to stay until Elbit leaves.

If you are looking for alternative accommodation in Leicester to support the siege, email [email protected] or visit palestineaction.org/siege.

For anyone planning to join and support on the ground, the group organised a shuttle bus for free leaving from Leicester train station public car part/taxi rank to the factory. The bus will be leaving at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. A clear sign will help you find the right one.

In the runup to the siege, PalAction has set up a surprise camp next to the factory, hiding in trees and unnoticed by the police and Elbit’s security for 12 hours!

Photo: The photo shows PalAction activists setting up their surprise camp in the trees at Leicester’s Elbit factory.

The privatisation and the redevelopment of Exarchia’s Strefi Hill that started two years ago, is the second plan by the state and the municipality to sell out the area to private companies. In January ’21, the council conceded the hill to a real estate company, Prodea Investments.

Strefi hill is one of the last green free spaces in central Athens and also a place for assemblies, meetings and solidarity events. The open assembly for the defence of Strefi hill counts two years, with daily actions for the protection of the hill, the nature and the non-human animals who live in it.

The defenders of the hill succeeded to block many of the Prodea’s interferences, by pushing back the surveyors and the workers. Actions like marches, demonstrations outside Prodea’s offices and the city hall, tree spiking, daily patrols, airbnb building attacks or days of film screenings, activities for children, cleaning, gatherings with vegan collective kitchen, have been trying to keep the hill alive and free, even though it’s been flooded by multiple cops’ units.

Unfortunately, all of the above were not enough to prevent the destruction of the hill and to stop once and for all the redevelopment plan. Under the excuse of “flood protection” plans, Prodea along with the Unison Facilities Services, have already started destroying the hill by cutting the trees and the bushes, where the turtles and other animals find their shelter and their food. Also, the intense lighting that is included in the project will push away many bird species. Prodea’s plan is an anti- ecological plan and will totally affect the life of human and non-human animals and has to be stopped before it’s too late.

Exarchia and Strefi hill will not be given away without a fight and their history cannot be erased so easily. It’s our duty to defend the mountains, the forests, the hills, the parks, the seas and every form of life.

Capitalism will not win!

For earth liberation! For animal liberation! For human liberation!

Exarchia has been a target by the state for years through police control and brutality, gentrification, evictions, arrests. In 2019, the greek state began massive evictions of anarchist and refugee squats in Exarchia, trying to muzzle all the political voices. The government’s plan is to put the history of Exarchia in a “museum” that will be remembered only through tourist tours around the neighbourhood, while the place will be available only for the privileged ones, since the locals will move to other neighbourhoods.

The plan includes the construction of a metro station on the square, the conversion of the Polytechnic school into a museum and the privatisation of Strefi hill where cameras, gates and security posts will be placed. Last August, despite the continuous fights against it by groups and individuals, sheet metal was placed around the square of Exarchia for the construction of the metro station. The spot for the construction site wasn’t chosen randomly. Police forces are “protecting” the construction site 24/7, by bullying, offending, beating and arresting anyone who is trying to resist.

The neighbourhood of Exarchia (Greece) has a radical, revolutionary, anarchist political background with continuous struggles, solidarity places to welcome and protect the refugees and migrants, squats, political assemblies and social centres.

Back in 1973, Athens Polytechnic uprising began by the students against the military junta. The students decided to show their rejection to this regime with massive demonstrations. Students, citizens and workers became one and rebelled against the dictatorship. The students ended up inside the Polytechnic school and occupied the place. The tanks entered the place by crashing the gates on November 17. Many students and residents got injured, or died around the area. Years later, during the annual 17 November protests, young people continued getting murdered by the state. Iakovos Koumis and Stamatina Kanellopoulou were the victims of police brutality in 1980 and the 15 year old Michalis Kaltezas was shot dead by a cop in 1985. The Polytechnic university, which is located in the area of Exarchia, was a factor for the neighbourhood to acquire the political features that it has until today.

Until a few years ago, Polytechnic university was a place of resistance, freedom and expression.

The police brutality against a 15 year old student was repeated on December 6 of 2008. This time the target was Alexis Grigoropoulos who was hanging out with his friends in Exarchia. Two cops drew their guns on the kids and one of the cops murdered Alexis in cold blood.

Alexis’ murder was the spark that turned the anger into a fire and burnt the whole city. The riots started immediately and the centre of Athens became a war zone. The uprising lasted for weeks and was the biggest that took place in Greece, after 1973. “These days belong to Alexis” was written all over the city. Soon, the whole country was protesting for Alexis.

The “Black December” started spreading everywhere.

Hunt Saboteurs Sweden has been expanding massively in the past year, taking part in multiple actions against hunting, and are in need of support. They depend solely on donations, and to make ends meet many of the hunt sabs have been spending a lot of their personal money just to keep the fuel costs covered!

With more and more folks joining their ranks and more actions in the horizon, they are asking for economic support to be able to afford new tools to sabotage the hunts, from cameras, radios and torches to fuel costs, if you can donate a couple of coins they will be greatly appreciative of the solidarity.

They have also said that if you have spare cameras, or radios or other tools that could be useful in their fight for the wild, they are happy to receive those instead of money, so have a look around and see if there is anything spare!

Their fundraiser is only asking for 220 EUR, which means if you all donate just 1 EUR we would raise that money and much more very quickly! If you have any to spare, please drop them some coins here:

https://www.firefund.net/fightforthewildlife

You can get in touch with them here:

IG: @huntsabssweden
FB: https://www.facebook.com/HuntSaboteursSweden
Email: [email protected]

SOLIDARITY WITH THE WILD, AND WITH THOSE TAKING ACTION!

On January 18th police murdered a forest defender, Tortuguita. Immediately, a call was put out for a “night of rage”. The rage was instead was not limited to one night, nor only retaliation.These actions have been claimed in honor, memory, vengeance, revenge, for, or in solidarity with Tortuguita.

From January 18th onward across the USA people held vigils, built barricades, attacked a realty office, attacked banks, smashed the windows of the skyscraper housing the Atlanta Police Foundation, torched a police cruiser, vandalized cars in a Porsche dealership, attacked UPS shipping center, set construction equipment on fire, and attacked the offices of those responsible for cop city. Across turtle island we felt it from California, Illinois, North Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, Atlanta, Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Oregon,  Michigan, New York, Colorado, Indiana, and Minnesota.

 In February across the USA, banks were attacked, excavators in Weelaunee forest were set on fire, Amazon delivery vehicles vandalized, Atlas offices targeted, a Norfolk Southern rail line sabotaged, the home addresses of employees of Atlas were published, in France a transmission pylon was set on fire. Rage was had from California, Brooklyn, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, to Bure France and back.

 In March during the week of action in Atlanta, GA USA, a demonstration of 300 people stormed and destroyed a construction site and police staging area, and later that week machinery in Weelaunee was destroyed. More construction equipment was sabotaged and, offices vandalized. In late March the home addresses were published of several Judges, a Police Investigator, an Assistant Chief of police, and a GBI Special Agent.

 In April three excavators owned by Brent Scarbrough Company were burnt. (Brent Scarbrough is the company and individual responsible for clear-cutting the Weelaunee Forest)

By carrying our friends in our hearts and actions they live on in spirit and in memory. With Love and Rage, we carry on those who have been taken from us.

The Campaign for the Abolition of the Fur Trade (CAFT) keeps throwing blows at the capitalist enterprises profiting from fur around the world. After successfully campaigning against the sale of fur by multiple brands, they are now focused on two main targets.

The first is LVMH, which is a conglomerate of luxury goods businesses headed by Bernard Arnault (the world’s latest richest man). LVMH owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dio and Fendi – each of which sell fur coats.

To coincide with LVMH’s AGM (meeting of shareholders), CAFT is joining an international spell of campaigining from April 20th to April 30th to get them to commit to a fur-free policy. In this period, the group calls for everyone to get active by demonstrating outside your local store, signing CAFT’s petition, leafleting, doing video outreach, stickering, or by getting creative! Full details and resources found here on the CAFT USA website. Wherever you are, find the closest LVMH (or any of it’s daughter companies!) location and join the fight against the sale of fur!

As well as LVMH, CAFT is targeting MaxMara, an Italy-based business which sells high-end ‘fashion’. In March, one activist in Los Angeles was arrested for ‘disturbing the peace’ during a demonstration. CAFT calls for activists to continue campaigning against MaxMara until they take the easy option and drop fur!

With both targets, CAFT is willing to offer support in getting started if you email them. No action is too small; every action makes a difference!

Check CAFT out:

https://caftusa.org

IG: @caftusa

Donations: https://caftusa.org/donate/

As part of the frontlines series, UA will be providing a monthly round-up of hunt sabotage and other forms of wildlife protection that happens within the UK and Ireland. This will include events, actions and developments that have taken place within the last month relating to ongoing campaigns against hunting with hounds, the shooting industry, the badger cull and beyond.

We want to stress that our aim of this is not to cover everything. There are so many active groups and individuals that doing justice to all of their work is an impossible task. Instead, what we intend to do is highlight key examples of tactics and strategies that are being used and contribute to a conversation about how these produce results. With that said, some do not believe that the state is the answer. Legal reform or prosecutions may be mentioned, to give context, but it can be argued that animal liberation, let alone total liberation, can not be achieved through these methods.

While we prepare for our first round-up, we ask that groups and individuals to reach out to us. As part of these releases, we would like to include relevant imagery from campaigns relating to hunt sabotage and other forms of wildlife protection. As mentioned before, we cannot include everything but what we do feature will be credited (unless requested otherwise). Imagery can be sent to allemailsarebastards(attt)protonmail(dddot)com .

Feel free to also contact us with relevent campaign updates but please do not detail planned actions or illegal activities. Detailed information on how to submit hit reports, however, can be found on the ‘contact us’ tab on our website which provides a safer method of submitting.

NO LIFE LIKE THE WILD

PalAction is ramping up their attacks aimed at dismantling British complicity in Israeli apartheid.

A year after two PalAction actionists shut down Leicester’s weapons factory Elbit, the group is mobilising for another siege of the factory, starting from May 1st. You can join them at UAV TACTICAL SYSTEMS, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1WZ, UK.

According to PalAction, Elbit’s factory in Leicester exported £5million worth of military equipment to Israel in one year. In preparation for the action, PalAction is running a series of talks and workshops on “How to shut Elbit down”. Upcoming in person talks are on 8th April in Newcastle and 9th of April in Bedford. You can also join an online talk, for more info visit their website. The group announces that “the mass action will include hundreds staying put for weeks on end, through day and night, refusing to leave until Elbit does”. Check out palestineaction.org/siege for more info.

Leicester’s Elbit factory has been targeted by PalAction several times before, with the biggest occupation having taken place in May 2021 during Israeli aggression in Jerusalem and Gaza. The siege of the factory by four activists lasted 6 days, with the fire service refusing to intervene and with a huge turnout of community support.

A trial took place early March against three actionists who shut down the factory of APPH in Runcorn two years ago. APPH supplies drone parts to Elbit Systems. One activist was acquitted, while two others plead guilty and will appear for sentencing in Chester Crown Court on Friday, 5th May, possibly facing time in prison.

Several PalAction activists face trial from Monday 27th March for three weeks for shutting down Arconic, a supplier of flammable cladding and parts for Israeli fighter jets. Their case is joined with other actionists arrested in Walsall for possessing items to commit “criminal damage”. PalAction is calling for support in their trials every day from 9.30AM at Wolverhampton Crown Court, WV1 3LQ.

So once again: Join PalAction from the 1st of May in Leicester, LE19 1WZ, and shut Elbit down for good!

HSS has sent us a text to help raise funds so they can sabotage the lynx cull. Hunters want to murder 164 lynx in Sweden starting 1st of March. They only need 442 EUR and have already raised 186 EUR, so this is a very manageable amount that we are sure we can help crowdfund.

Please read their text below, and donate here:

https://www.firefund.net/protectthelynx

“PROTECT THE LYNX – HUNT THE HUNTERS

On March 1st the lynx cull starts in Sweden and 164 lynx have been sentenced to lose their lives in brutal and ruthless ways. The hunters will tear families apart, torture them to death and traumatize not only the lynx but all the inhabitants of the forest. Because of Swedens new far-right government consisting of hunters, the amount of lynx that will be hunted is record high. As if this were not enough, the lynx is a popular animal to kill in the most sadistic ways. A common hunting method is to have dogs chase them up trees and then shoot them from below. Lynx have also been found strangled, hanged and beaten to death.
Hunt Saboteurs Sweden intends to make the hunting difficult and prevent the killing in every possible way to protect the lynx. We will do everything in our power to protect and save these innocent and amazing cats from the hunters bloodlust.
 
WHERE AND WHEN: Different parts of Sweden from March 1st and forward. We will stay for as long as the economy allows us to.

WHY DONATIONS ARE NEEDED: Unfortunately it costs a lot to sabotage a hunt. The sabs needs food and shelter but also cars and petrol since the hunt is taking place in the woods and sometimes very far away from the society. We always make sure to choose the cheapest options of everything.
 
WHY TO PROTECT THE LYNX: Hunt Saboteurs Sweden is an anti-hunting and antispeciesist organization that fights for and protects the wild animals against hunters and their psychopathy. We are dedicated to animal liberation. This means we work with groups locally, nationally and worldwide who fight to end domination and injustice.

We take direct action peacefully when needed on the fields to stop the hunt and slaughter of our wildlife. Not everyone can join us on the fields but anyone can play an important role. Fundraising and raising awareness are as important as the sabbing itself.

WHERE TO FIND US:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/HuntSaboteursSweden/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/huntsabssweden
Mail: [email protected]