Security assault protester at Israeli weapons factory in Newcastle as police stand by

A protester at Israeli-owned weapons factory Pearson Engineering in Newcastle was assaulted by security, and instead of helping him, Northumbria Police piled in on the beating.

Pearson Engineering: security assault pro-Palestine protester

In footage shared by Newcastle Palestine Solidarity, a protestor at Pearson Engineering was forced to the ground and piled on by security while police stood by and watched it happen:

 

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A post shared by Newcastle Palestine Solidarity (@newcastlepsc)

Pearson Engineering is actually owned by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. Of course, the Israeli state is listed on Companies House as having the controlling stake in the firm, situated on the Armstrong Works in Newcastle.

Groups such as Newcastle Palestine Solidarity and People Against Rafael have been protesting the site to highlight the fact that Newcastle council are allowing arms, which are part of the genocide in Palestine, to be manufactured in the city.

Northumbria Police stand idly by… and then pile on

Despite fellow protestors imploring police officers to help the activist on the ground, they instead focused on stopping the other protestors from recording the assault. One officer shouted, “do not approach my officers!” while the protestors could be heard desperately trying to explain:

that’s security, not officers. They’re assaulting him! Turn around and look that’s security.

When told to put his camera down, the protestor filming pointed out “he’s being assaulted by police officers”, and police do nothing.

Security can then be seen dictating to the police the arrest of the assaulted protester. It’s at this point that police officers do turn around, but only so more police can pile on top of the assaulted activist.

An officer (collar number 3802) can even be seen punching the activist in the back while he’s on the ground, already not moving. Instead, officers screamed at other protestors to put their phones down.

Fellow protestors who managed to get closer to the assault alerted the officers and security, who are still on top of the activist, that he couldn’t breathe. That’s because at this point, an officer (2438) was attempting to cover his mouth. They eventually got him to his feet.

UK cops: servile protectors of Zionist arms dealers

In the chaos, two other activists were arrested for attempting to help their comrade on the ground, and the press photographer (who was filming) was shoved out of the way and into a road for still attempting to film while they assaulted a protestor.

Finally, an officer (1247) screamed at them to get back again, this time whipping out his baton, though the protesters did not at any point threaten violence.

Newcastle Palestine Solidarity said on Instagram:

The security violently assaulted our comrade, initiating and dictating his arrest, with Northumbria Police obediently facilitating. This is the lengths the Zionist arms dealers and police will go to, allowing the weapons to keep flowing so that more Palestinians can be slaughtered.

The group implored:

Why are peaceful activists arrested for protesting genocide whilst violent security of an Israeli owned factory are given the green light to physically attack? Why does Northumbria Police protect not only private genocidal property, but also violent criminal security thugs who are assaulting the public?

Last week, People Against Rafael took to the Tyne Bridge for a peaceful protest. They stood along the bridge and informed commuters about the Israeli government-owned arms factory that many probably don’t know is on their doorstep.

The group’s next action will be a march at 12pm on 12 October, starting from Grey’s Monument. This will take the form of a funeral procession around Newcastle city centre, to mark two years since the genocide began.

Feature image via screengrab.