HUNDREDS of Welsh peace campaigners blockaded BAE Systems’ Glascoed site in Monmouthshire today.

Members of the Cymru Peace Coalition took part in the protest at the facility, which is between Pontypool and the market town of Usk, calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel. 

The Welsh activists took action following a call for a global week of action for Palestine, which started today. 

Demonstrators including local peace campaigners, Cardiff Stop the War and Extinction Rebellion activists blockaded entrances to the weapons factory, claiming they had prevented traffic from entering or leaving. 

At the site, picketers held the blockade for several hours, chanting against genocide and in support of Palestine, singing resistance songs and sharing food.

The coalition claimed BAE Systems was targeted because the company produces and exports a range of weapons used by the Israel Defence Force to conduct air strikes and attacks against Palestinians, contributing to the ongoing genocide. 

A Cardiff Stop the War spokesperson said: “While the International Court of Justice has called Israel’s actions a plausible case of genocide, the UK government refuses to sever its profitable arms deals. 

“Through mass action, we must make the political and economic cost too high for the UK government to continue arming Israel.”

Extinction Rebellion Newport activists took part in the protest and said: “BAE are complicit in wreaking havoc in communities across the world and are still complicit in the genocide in Gaza. 

“Companies like BAE are not welcome in Wales and it is the duty of every ordinary person to oppose this as directly as they possibly can.” 

A spokesman for BAE denied the company “directly” sells military equipment to Israel or has any employees or operations in Israel or Gaza and claimed the protest caused minimal disruption.

“The situation in Israel and Gaza is having a devastating impact on civilians in the region and we hope it can be resolved as soon as possible,” the BAE spokesman said.

“We respect everyone’s right to protest peacefully.”

The Cymru Peace Coalition is a collective of peace campaigners, Palestine solidarity activists and people from across a broad spectrum of campaigns taking up direct action and picketing arms factories.