Protestors outside of Elbit Systems in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.
Several protestors chained themselves to the door of a defense contractor in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Thursday morning in protest, they said, of the company's involvement in Israel's military campaign.
There were around 50 protestors at the Elbit Systems office in Cambridge, three of whom locked themselves to the company's front door with what appeared to be bicycle U-locks. Demonstrators were holding signs calling for the company to be shut down and accusing it of profiting "from genocide." One sign featured the Palestinian flag.
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Elbit's parent company — based in Haifa, Israel — describes itself as "an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs." The U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, works in defense, homeland security. commercial aviation, medical instruments and more, according to its website.
The leadership of Elbit America shared a statement Thursday saying, "Elbit America unequivocally condemns Hamas and its barbaric acts of terrorism. We stand with Israel and its people as they defend their country and citizens."
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On Saturday, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, the company said that it stands with its employees, Israel Defense Forces' soldiers, commanding officers and the Israeli Ministry of Defense, although additional specifics about the company's dealings with the country's military were not immediately available.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Elbit for a comment on the protest, which comes as the death toll in the Israel-Hamas War stands at least 1,300 killed in Israel and more than 1,400 in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to a news release, Elbit's Cambridge Innovation Center opened in late 2021 and features engineering and ideation space. The Cambridge space supports a medical instrumentation division of the company, which is based in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
