At least five activists have stormed the German headquarters of Elbit Systems, damaging furniture and equipment. They are following the example of the British group “Palestine Action,” which has successfully weakened Israel’s largest arms manufacturer.

On Monday, a at least five activists forced their way into Elbit’s Ulm offices, breaking down doors, smashing windows, and destroying equipment. They carried Palestinian flags and wore armbands reading ‘Palestine Action’ – an apparent reference to the group of the same name in Britain. That organization was recently banned under the UK Terrorism Act for similar actions. Hundreds of people who protested against the ban and expressed solidarity with “Palestine Action” were already arrested by British police – again this past weekend.

According to local police in Ulm and the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA), Elbit’s security service noticed the attack by several individuals early in the morning. They had also sprayed graffiti “with allegedly political content” in the company’s parking lot. Police surrounded the building and soon arrested several people on an upper floor. The LKA’s State Security and Anti-Terrorism Center is now leading the investigation.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, supplying systems for the army, air force, navy, and military cyber operations, as well as civilian security applications. The German subsidiary in Ulm develops and produces military communications equipment, including radios for the Bundeswehr. Night-vision devices, targeting optics, and missile defense systems are also manufactured there.

Such actions in Ulm have been occurring with increasing frequency. In February, around 40 members of the ‘Shut Elbit Down – Germany’ campaign set up tents within sight of the company’s site. In early August 2025, some 30 activists blockaded the Ulm location, demanding: ‘We want Elbit Systems to disappear from Ulm, Koblenz, Berlin – from Germany.’ Another protest camp is scheduled to take place in Ulm from September 17 for five days.

In Britain, this strategy seems to have been successful. According to The Guardian, Elbit unexpectedly closed its Bristol office last week after “Palestine Action” repeatedly carried out blockades, rooftop occupations, and paint attacks there. The facility, located in a business park, had been leased since 2019 and was scheduled to operate until 2029.

Elbit has also been forced to abandon other UK locations for similar reasons. In 2022, the company sold its business in Oldham. Last year, its subsidiary Elite KL in the West Midlands shut down after profits fell by 75 percent, mainly due to rising security costs from the protests. Economically, Elbit Systems UK may be pushed to the brink: according to The Guardian, the subsidiary posted an operating loss of about €5.5 million in 2024 – compared to a profit of €4.4 million the previous year.

Published in German in ‘nd’.

Image: Footage of the action in Ulm seen by “nd”.