Moment pro-Palestinian activists break in and smash up UK warehouse of firm supplying military items to Israel
Pro-Palestinian activists have brazenly filmed themselves vandalising the warehouse of a UK firm that supplies military items to Israel.
The minute-long footage, which was posted to social media on Saturday morning, shows the group cutting away at the metal security fence of Permoid Industries Ltd, in Newton Aycliffe, Durham.
Having gained access, two members of the group, who are all wearing hoodies, gloves and dark clothing, can be seen sprinting across the car park into the warehouse where at least four others are already located.
According to a statement posted by the group, the incident occurred 'under cover of darkness' and involved the activists destroying equipment, spraying red paint over the floors and walls and smashing glass windows.
One activist with a spray can is then filmed daubing 'Free Gaza ' on the walls, while another walks into another part of the warehouse carrying a fire extinguisher filled with paint.
Permoid Industries describes itself as an engineering firm that has supplied the Ministry of Defence for more than 80 years, as well as the automotive sector.
Products manufactured by the firm include ammunition containers suitable for belted heavy machine-gun ammunition, and cartridge, mortar, and shell munitions.
In a social media post from the group on Saturday, it said that the 'intervention' took place 'ahead of a planned shipment of ammunition boxes from the Durham factory to an Elbit Systems weapons plant in Israel.'
Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defence contractor with subsidiary facilities throughout the United Kingdom, is said to supply up to 85 per cent of the Israeli military's drone fleet and land-based military equipment.
Palestine Action also released a statement on its website explaining that Permoid has 'shipped more than a thousand munitions containers to the Israeli arms industry, at least 920 of which went to Israel's biggest weapons maker, Elbit Systems, in Ramat Hasharon near Tel Aviv.'
A Palestine Action spokesperson warned that the group would continue to 'directly intervene' against any firms that supply Israel with arms.
They said: 'It is inexcusable to arm the Israeli military and profit from the escalating Gaza genocide.
'Factories operating on our doorstep who are building the tools needed to destroy Palestine and massacre its people, must know by now that we will directly intervene.
'If Permoid Industries wants to stay in business and avoid the wrath of Palestine Action, it must cease supplying the Israeli weapons industry.'
Earlier this week, advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it had called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.
CAA said the organisation is 'known for confrontational and criminal tactics, including damage to property, vandalism and the occupation of corporate or public facilities.'
It added: 'The group's methods often involve the destruction of property, disruption of business operations, and threats to public safety.
'Palestine Action revels in these activities and writes extensively about them on its website.'
The group's activities previously include the 'mock beheading' of a statue of former Israeli Prime Minister Chaim Weizmann at the University of Manchester, in November.
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