Legal Funds for Anti-Elbit Peace Activists

As the friends and family of those arrested in Birdsboro, PA alongside Eastern Pennsylvania Against the Death Economy, we are raising funds to cover legal support for our 7 loved ones who were arrested protesting Elbit System's Berks County plant. They were released after midnight on March 1 after spending more than 14 hours in jail. They have been charged with multiple misdemeanors after participating in this morning's Memorial Service for the victims of the genocide in Gaza.

Together, with a total of 30 peace activists from around the area, we held sacred space non-violently blocking the entry road for 2 hours, disrupting business as usual as we called on Aydin Displays to cut ties with Elbit and refuse to manufacture technology for Israeli weapons -- or shut down.

Thank you for your support as we get our people out of jail and seek to support their legal defense! More information about the action is below.

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In one of the largest non-violent civil disobedience actions in Berks County Pennsylvania’s recent history, 7 people were arrested on February 29th in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania among a group of 30 peace activists who non-violently blocked the entry road for two hours to Aydin Displays, a subsidiary company of Elbit Systems. Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest military manufacturer, responsible for supplying 85% of the weapons used by the Israeli military. Since October 7, close to 30,000 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza, with thousands more wounded or under the rubble, and some 2 million Gazans displaced.

The "rugged displays" designed and produced at Elbit's Berks County plant Aydin Displays (see: https://www.aydindisplays.com/grounddisplays) are intended to guide weapons like those Israel is using on civilians in Gaza, including tanks and airborne military equipment. Elbit Systems’ promotional video displays the deadly capacity of its Lanius drones which are guided by rugged displays: https://automatedresearch.org/weapon/elbit-systems-lanius-loitering-munition/

On Thursday morning 2/29/204, community members from Berks County, Philadelphia, Scranton, Northeast Pennsylvania and beyond blocked Aydin Displays’ entry road led a “Memorial Service for the Dead” to present to Aydin Displays workers and management. The service included a reading of the names of Gazans killed by the Israeli military, and a display of children’s shoes to represent the deaths of children and people of all ages. Experts in more than 50 countries have called Israel’s actions against Palestinians genocide.

**News**

Middle East Eye: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/peace-activists-arrested-after-blocking-entry-israeli-military?nid=344816&topic=Israel-Palestine%2520war&fid=503716

Reading Eagle: https://www.readingeagle.com/2024/02/29/7-arrested-during-protest-of-berks-subsidiary-of-israeli-military-contractor/

Channel 69 Berks: https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/seven-arrested-during-protest-at-amity-twp-defense-manufacturer/article_c106c002-d717-11ee-9fff-4f74a0319bcc.html

Fundraiser details and plans for distribution: We are organizing this fundraiser as friends and family of the defendants, along with the group Eastern PA Against the Death Economy. The beneficiary is Lydia Wylie-Kellermann, the wife of one of those arrested at the protest on 2/29. Lydia is currently tracking expenses related to this case. She will will transfer the funds from GoFundMe to distribute the funds to the lawyers who represented the defendants, and reimburse those who paid for court fees or other fees related to their charges.