Two arrests as activists occupy Kendal factory over Gaza links

A group of 35 Palestine solidarity campaigners from Kendal and across the North of England occupied the James Cropper plc factory in Burneside (Kendal) today, in protest at the company's continued production of materials for Israel's F-35 warplanes being used in the genocidal war on Gaza. The activists entered the premises of James Cropper Advanced Materials, the part of the company responsible for supply parts for military aircraft (including Israel's F-35 warplanes), and held a symbolic "die-in" to mark the deaths of more than 50,000 people in the war on Gaza. After leaving the site, two arrests were made by Cumbria Police.

Addressing workers at the site during a symbolic "die in", Katie Todd, one of the activist said: "We are here today to mark the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military in their bombardment of Gaza, and to mark the blood on the hands of James Cropper plc, which produces parts for F-35 fighter jets used by the Israeli army. Many people who live in this village and this district do not know, or have been horrified to learn, that this factory is not just a paper mill; that inside these doors, parts are made for war planes currently being used in a genocide. As we lie here today, remembering the dead in Gaza, we draw attention to the connection between the terrible scenes of devastation we see every day coming out of Palestine, and the complex supply chains of an arms industry which has integrated itself into our lives and communities more than we realise. We know that the people killed in Gaza are just like any one of us, and could be our friends, our partners, our kids."[1]

The F-35 is a military aircraft being produced primarily for the US military by American weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin, but Israel already has dozens of these aircraft in active service, including in the bombardment of Gaza, with dozens more still to be shipped out to Israel. In late 2023, as the deaths mounted in Gaza, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade produced a list of all UK based companies involved in the supply of parts for F-35s, encouraging local communities to oppose those profiting from the genocide in their areas.[2]

On that list, alongside the major UK arms manufacturer BAE Systems, was James Cropper plc. Since the 1990s James Cropper plc has been producing ‘advanced materials’ for military aircraft, boasting that these are "materials which meet specifications that other providers can't fulfil."[3]

Over the past 12 months, local campaigners have been raising awareness of the role of the company in the war on Gaza, and have repeated calls for the company to "make paper not planes", protect jobs in the local area and shift production away from military purposes.[4]

Commenting on the escalation in the campaign tactics, and the arrests, Katie Todd said: "We do not want war. We do not want to be part of a bloodshed. We do not believe that anyone’s job or livelihood should rely on war. We refuse to look away. We refuse to turn a blind eye at what is happening on our doorsteps. The arrests today were a massive over-reaction by the police to a peaceful protest, after we had left the factory site. We will not be silenced by threats and intimidation by the factory bosses and the police, and we call on all workers in the site to join us in raising their voices against the role they are being asked to play in the war machine".

More images of the action (free from copyright) will be uploaded to Instagram over the coming days: https://www.instagram.com/papernotplanes/

Notes to the editor:

1: A full version of the speech delivered by the activists can be found at: https://www.stopf35nw.com/post/genocide-made-in-burneside

2: Research produced by Campaign Against the Arms Trade showing the role of James Cropper plc in supplying parts for Israeli F-35s: https://caat.org.uk/data/countries/israel/mapped-all-the-uk-companies-manufacturing-components-for-israels-f35-combat-aircraft/

3: Information on the links between James Cropper plc and the F-35 can be found here: https://www.stopf35nw.com/

4: Hundreds of people have signed a petition, calling on James Cropper plc to cease their involvement in F-35 production while it cannot be guaranteed that these planes are not being used to commit crimes against humanity. Burneside village has been leafleted, campaigners have talked to workers at the factory gates and handed out information sheets, campaign meetings have been held in Kendal, and protests have been organised at the factory, James Cropper plc's AGM, and at paper heritage days celebrating Croppers history of paper production. Despite this, the company have continued to defend their involvement in the arms trade. More information on the campaign can be found here: https://www.stopf35nw.com/