Shut Down Leonardo Southampton

29/08/2026

Back at the civic centre this week for our regular, weekly vigil against British arms exports to genocides and imperialist attacks. Britain must stop arming Israel, the UAE and the United States - solidarity with the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Syria, the DRC, Yemen and Cuba.

Stop the Gaza genocide! Stop the Sudanese genocide! Hands off Lebanon, Iran, the DRC, Cuba, Syria, Yemen and all nations facing US and US-aligned military attacks and economic warfare.

We also hope many will join Southampton-Palestine Friendship Network's picnic on Sunday 30th August, 1-4pm, on Southampton Common for their third annual gathering for Gaza to raise funds directly for the people of Deir al-Balah ❤️✊

Free Palestine! Every apartheid state must fall and US empire alongside it!

27/08/2026

As always, thank you so much to those who joined us to protest Leonardo’s death factory in Millbrook. Cars leaving the factory were forced to confront a banner reading “Blood On Your Hands”, which was used to protest the Iraq war and NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia. Decades later, we carry on this banner’s legacy as the anti-war and anti-genocide movement continues to challenge the bombs which rain from the imperial core onto the rest of the world.

Leonardo’s site in Southampton collaborates closely with Leonardo’s Edinburgh factory, which produces laser-targeting components for the F-35 genocide jet. Fifteen percent of the value of every F-35 is produced across the country, and Leonardo UK is a key part of this murderous supply chain.

Campaigners refuse to give up the fight to stop British weapons exports backing genocides and imperialist aggression around the world, despite facing ever-increasing repressive and draconian conditions. This week saw activists in Newcastle blockade Israeli weapons factory Rafael, and activists in Brighton blockade L-3 Harris, another key corporation in the F-35 supply chain.

There were also some big wins for the movement to stop arming Israel this week, as the Shenstone 5 received conditional discharges and a rare fair trial. The Shenstone 5 damaged UAV Engines, owned by Elbit, and the jury was allowed to hear their motivations, and evidence about Israel’s drones produced at the factory. The courts also deemed that the Barclays 5 will not be sentenced as terrorists for their alleged actions targeting a Barclays Bank in Lancashire in August 2024, challenging its genocidal finance capital for its investments and shares in Elbit at the time.

We hope as well that you will join Southampton Palestine Friendship Network for their Gaza gathering this upcoming Sunday, 30 August to raise funds directly for Palestinians still facing torturous conditions in Deir al-Balah in Gaza.

Please watch this space for details about next week’s vigil!

23/08/2026

Back at the Millbrook site this coming week, join us if you can to say no to weapons factories supporting Israel's genocide

20/08/2026

Huge thanks to all the lovely people who yesterday came out in support of our vigil and once again proved what real community, solidarity and standing up for each other actually mean. This has happened consistently over the past year and your unwavering support is much appreciated 🙏🙏 🇵🇸🇵🇸

There was a small far right presence which, although apparently unaware - and despite their claim to want to 'defend' the workforce - did an excellent job of inconveniencing Leonardo UK's employees trying to leave the factory on their way home.

And whatever their personal feelings about the work they do, we strongly doubt that Leonardo UK's workers appreciated having to drive past a pack of abusive far-right so-called patriots supporting them outside their workplace.

The Leonardo UK 's Millbrook site operates in close partnership with the Edinburgh factory, a known production site of components for the F-35 fighter jets which are still being used by Israel in its continuing air strikes on Gaza.

The Millbrook factory is therefore deeply implicated in Israel's ongoing genocide which has so far killed at least 1,273 people since the October 2025 'ceaserfire'. Our vigils focus on this link, and one of our demands is that the Millbrook site moves away from genocidal work and prioritises the manufacture of its other socially useful products.

And to end on a positive note, yesterday saw another victory for pro-Palestine activists across the UK as yet another jury refused to convict seven defendants in the second Filton Trial who had been accused - on a joint enterprise basis - of assisting an action in Bristol were up to 40 Israeli weapons were destroyed.

None of the defendants in the second trial took part directly in the action, so this verdict has wide-ranging implications for all campaigners and activists as the charges were intended to criminalise anyone accused of being involved in organising actions against weapons factories supporting Israel's genocide.

Please watch this space for details of next week's vigil, we hope to see you there 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸

14/08/2026

https://www.euromedmonitor.org/en/article/7088/Israel-wipes-genocide-evidence-in-Gaza,-carting-off-rubble-and-remains-in-100-trucks-daily

At least 10 million tonnes of rubble have been removed, crushed, or moved from their original sites within the areas under Israel’s unlawful military control

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday outside the civic centre! We continue to rally weekly against British weapon exports arming genocides and imperialism.

Solidarity with activists who across the country, over the past week alone, blockaded Elbit in Bristol, Rafael’s Pearson Engineering in Newcastle and L3 Harris in Brighton. No amount of repression targeting activists will stop people continuing to mobilise at the points of genocidal production to shut it down.

This Saturday as well, the anti-war movement will come together to rally at RAF Fairford to demand our new government stop allowing the US to use British bases in its illegal attacks on Iran. More information here: https://cnduk.org/events/stop-bombing-iran-protest-at-raf-fairford/

We hope you will join us next week at the Leonardo factory in Millbrook, more details shared soon. Leonardo continues to profit from its role in the F-35 “genocide jet” supply chain and we will continue to oppose its site in our own city.

Free Palestinian prisoners! Free the Filton 25! Free the Brize Norton 6! Free the Keysight 3!

06/08/2026

Huge thanks, as always, to all those who turned up last night at our weekly vigil for Palestine, Lebanon and all the other countries at the receiving end of US and Israeli imperialist violence.

Our presence helps keep the continuing horror in the public's mind, a horror which this week saw 112 members of the same extended family, including 44 children, 38 women and 7 people with disabilities, being finally laid to rest after they were murdered en masse by an Israeli air strike that destroyed their apartment block nearly 3 years ago.

Continued, visible and consistent support for the people of Palestine IS important, whether it takes the form of regular vigils or disrupting weapons companies' activities - even though the latter is attracting more and more repressive measures by an authoritarian UK criminal 'justice' system only too eager to kowtow to Israeli interests.

And in a week when the UK government is scrabbling around for ways to find more prison spaces, it beggars belief that they are still punishing principled pro-Palestine activists by bringing in a terrorist connection when none existed before and ruling out lawful excuse which leaves juries with no option but to convict.

Potentially, this could lead to activists spending many years in prison and being subjected to draconian conditions on release.

The Barclays 5 are the latest group to face this unjust state repression. If you want to learn more about their case and support them, please follow this link:
https://www.cage.ngo/articles/terrorism-sentencing-of-barclays5-would-extend-authoritarian-precedent-set-against-palestine-action

Details of our next vigil to follow soon, thanks again for your continued support 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸