Protesters from Palestine Action broke into an Elbit Systems building in the German city of Ulm, throwing red paint at the entrance, hurling smoke grenades and smashing windows before being arrested by police.
In a video posted by the group on X, several members of the group are seen breaking into the building and destroying equipment, including computer hardware and furniture.
"Palestine Action Germany break into Elbit Systems' weapons factory in Ulm, to dismantle the tools used to commit genocide in Gaza" the group wrote on X. "The Ulm factory, owned by Israel's biggest weapons producer, makes military drone equipment and target acquisition software."
Police arrested five activists without resistance, and the investigation was transferred to the country's Security and Counter-Terrorism Center.
In a statement provided to The Jerusalem Post by Elbit Systems Germany, the company condemned the vandalism and stressed that it is a partner of the German Armed Forces.
"Elbit Systems Deutschland GmbH is a German company and has been a reliable partner of the Bundeswehr for many years in protecting democracy and freedom in the Federal Republic of Germany. In this regard, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the illegal acts of destruction and vandalism committed at our site over the weekend," it said. "It is unacceptable that violent groups, presumably under the influence of foreign agitators, are repeatedly attempting to disrupt production processes in Ulm, seeking to endanger employees and to instill fear.
We have been an attractive employer and a driver of technical innovation in the Ulm region for decades, and we trust in the support of the authorities in quickly solving the latest crimes and restoring the status quo. The company is working that production of systems for the German Armed Forces at the Ulm plant will resume shortly."
Long history of vandalism
The vandalism in Ulm is the latest in a long-list of destruction by the group against Elbit Systems. The group, founded in 2020, was banned in Britain under anti-terrorism legislation in July after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged military planes. The group accuses Britain's government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
On Sunday, The Guardian reported that Elbit Systems' site in Bristol, had been shut down by the company. Though Elbit Systems denied the report, the site was frequently targeted by the group. The site, which was just recently opened, was the site was a research and development hub for UK military programs.
German companies warned of risk of property attacks
In late August, federal criminal investigators in Germany warned that arms manufacturers face risks of property attacks from mounting protests. In a memo by the Federal Criminal Police Office, the agency said "Rheinmetall entwaffnen" or "Disarm Rheinmetall" protest could lead to property-related offences, as seen at similar events in previous years.
Protesters plan to protest at Rheinmetall's site in Cologne from Tuesday through Sunday, calling for a rejection of the "war regime".
In an emailed statement to Reuters, a Rheinmetall spokesperson said the company was in touch with security authorities and had taken appropriate precautions, without giving details.
Protest organizers said details of protest activities were available online. "Of course we also welcome creative and diverse forms of anti-militaristic protest," a spokesperson for the group told Reuters.
While it had no concrete evidence of planned criminal activity, Germany's criminal police office said defense companies, as well as their suppliers and partners, "are increasingly becoming the focus of politically motivated crime", particularly stemming from the left.
The memo said wars in Ukraine and Gaza were whipping up anti-military sentiment while rising German investment in the armed forces was fuelling backlash against the defense industry.
Alongside Rheinmetall RHMG.DE, a key supplier of weapons to Ukraine and its European allies, the memo also mentioned Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, which operates a site in Ulm, southwest Germany, as a potential target.
The document said Palestine Action, which has been banned in Britain under anti-terrorism legislation, was one of the groups regularly organizing protests in Germany, without giving further details.