Early yesterday morning a group of activists returned to St. Charles’ Boeing campus as part of a national protest. Seven were arrested by St. Charles Police.
Around 5:30 a.m. Monday, April 15, more than 35 people blocked three of the six gates at Boeing Manufacturing Plant 598 in St. Charles, Missouri. They carried banners and bike locks and eventually fastened themselves to the gates.
This was “to make clear that if they won't stop the bombs, we will, and that we're willing to put our bodies on the line to convey that message and make it real,” says Sarah Nixon, who attended the protest.
It was at least the third time that activists have targeted Boeing in St. Charles. Previously, in November, they blockaded the entrance for about three hours before some protestors were arrested. A demonstration on site later that month also drew more than 100 protestors.
Israel stands accused of genocide in the International Court of Justice, which issued a provisional order calling on the country to stop any acts that violate the genocide convention, according to National Public Radio. Israel is not heeding the order, according to Human Rights Watch.
The seven activists who were arrested have since been released from jail, Nixon told RFT. A St. Charles Police spokesperson said they would be charged with trespassing and unlawful assembly and one would be charged with property damage for a chain link fence they were locked to. The spokesperson said protestors peacefully cooperated with the arrests.
“We understand the St. Charles' police force, and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) sort of emerged from the same impulse or the same drive by the ruling class to protect property,” Nixon said yesterday. “That's what they were doing today. And that's what they do every day.”
As of Monday afternoon Nixon was not sure what court support would be organized for the arrested activists.
The group St. Louis for Palestine said in a release that they spoke out against Boeing because of its weapons programs that produce Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and GBU-39 Small Diameter bombs.
Since October 7, more than 33,843 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Middle East Monitor. This number may be higher as the health ministry in Gaza struggles to locate and count the deaths and thousands remain unaccounted for. The conflict began after Hamas militants attacked Israel in October, killing around 1,200 people, according to National Public Radio.
“War profiteers like Boeing's top executives continue to rake in millions of dollars. They might be beyond shame, but we know our neighbors want to side with humanity,” St. Louis for Palestine said in its release. “We will not sit idly by as we watch genocide unfold, and we invite our fellow workers to join us. We know genocide is a long-standing business in St. Louis, but we want a new future: humane jobs, a just economy, an end to colonialism everywhere, and a free Palestine.”
The demonstration was part of A15 action, a coordinated economic blockade set to occur on tax day in cities around the world.
“This is an effort to balance the scales of this moral debt that we have, especially considering the share of our taxes that go towards continuing to arm Israel and its assault on Gaza,” Nixon says.
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
