Activists have returned to the Oldham subsidiary of Elbit Systems occupying the roof, smashing windows and also entering the building where they covered computer equipment with blood red paint.

At the same time, the roof of the Bristol offices of Elbit was occupied by another group of protesters.

Elbit has ten sites and subsidiaries around the country. Factories at Oldham, Tamworth, Kent and Shenstone have all been previously disrupted by protests, as has the London HQ in Kingsway, but this is the first time the Bristol office has seen protest.

The activists, Palestine Action claim that Elbit Systems manufacture drones and other equipment implicated in war crimes around the world, and especially as used by the Israeli forces illegally occupying the West Bank and Gaza. The company advertise they equipment as “battle-tested”, thought to refer to its use in Palestine. Elbit equipment is also thought to have been used against civilians in Myanmar and Kashmir.

Despite repeated requests, Elbit appear to have a policy of not making any statements in response to these allegations, and the company also backed out of court proceedings against protesters apparently refusing to produce documents in court to prove their business was lawful.

Palestine Action is a network of activists describing themselves as a mass direct action movement “working to end UK complicity with Israeli apartheid”.