Pro-Palestinian protesters in court over drone factory demonstration

Several protests took place at the factory in 2022

Protesters have told a court they laid siege to a drone factory because they believed the company was sending weapons to Israel.

Alistair Gwynne and Muhamad Naufal Ubidi Binhishamudin, both 21 and from Manchester, blocked the entrance of UAV Tactical Systems in Leicester in April.

They were protesting as part of the Palestine Action group.

Both men deny criminal damage and obstructing or disrupting the firm's lawful activity.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the pair were accused at Leicester Magistrates' Court of spraying red paint over the factory's driveway and lying down in front of its only access point, seemingly attached to each other.

They have accused the company, a subsidiary of Israel-based international defence electronics company Elbit Systems, of manufacturing drone parts and shipping them out to Israel where they are then used in bombings.

Prosecution lawyers told the court the factory does manufacture drone parts but these are used by the British Ministry of Defence.

'Blood symbolism'

Giving evidence, defendant Mr Binhishamudin, of Moss Lane, said: "The plan was to disrupt the operations of the company by sitting in front of the front gate.

"We felt it was the most effective thing to do because it would prevent people going into work and shipments going in and out of the site."

He said the red paint was meant to "symbolise the blood of Palestinians".

Mr Gwynne, of Wallace Avenue, said: "There is only so much you can do by standing and shouting really loudly. Sometimes all you can do is stand in the way."

A security guard told the court the protest forced the company to close down for the day. This is estimated to have cost the firm about £9,000.

District judge Nick Watson adjourned the hearing, which is expected to conclude on Wednesday at Loughborough Magistrates' Court.