Protest outside one of General Dynamics factories in St Leonards, 2024. Photo: HDPSC
Council leader urged to release legal advice on Council’s role in genocide
Hastings Council leader Julia Hilton is under pressure to release legal advice which she claims makes her powerless to stop a company carrying out illegal activities on Hastings Council property. Hastings & Rye Palestine Solidarity Campaign chair Katy Colley reports.
General Dynamics, referred to as ‘Genocide’ Dynamics by local campaigners, has been ordered by the UN Human Rights Council to end all sales to Israel because of Israel’s ongoing attacks on civilians in Gaza which ‘may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws’.
General Dynamics has refused to abide by this UN ruling and campaigners argue that it is therefore carrying out illegal activities by assisting Israel to perpetrate a genocide.
The arms company currently leases the factory building on Castleham Road from Hastings Borough Council and its website states that it makes parts for avionic and tactical communications systems for ground vehicles.
The relevant clause from the lease for General Dynamics factory in Castleham Road, St Leonards
But under terms of the lease, Hastings Council can revoke it if they are involved in ‘illegal or immoral’ activities.
‘Permitted use’ or ‘aiding’ genocide?
In response to the Hastings Palestine Solidarity Campaign (HDPSC), which raised this issue with the council leader in January when it first became aware that General Dynamics was operating on council land, Councillor Hilton claimed that the terms of the lease are subject to ‘commercial confidentiality’ and that she had received legal advice that there was no grounds to take action because General Dynamics is manufacturing components which is ‘a permitted use within the law’.
However, in his reply to Councillor Hilton, HDPSC Secretary Laurie Holden wrote: ‘If the components being manufactured by GD in Hastings are playing a key role in the commission of an ongoing genocide, then their manufacture and export would appear to violate section 52 (1) of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 which makes it “an offence against the law of England and Wales for a person to engage in conduct ancillary” to “genocide, a crime against humanity or a war crime”, where such ancillary acts include “aiding” the commission of these. For example, it might ordinarily be legal to manufacture and export machetes, but not to Rwanda during its genocide.’
In her email, Councillor Hilton said the council had plans to introduce an ethical lettings policy in the future. Campaigners insist, however, that the lack of a current policy would not absolve the council from its responsibility to act in an ethical way now, nor would it excuse councillors of the crime of aiding a genocide if they refused to take action once they are aware that this was happening on their land.
A protest outside General Dynamics factory in Castleham Road, St Leonards, December 2023. Photo: HDPSC
It has been verified that bombs dropped by Israel on the then ‘safe zone’ of Al Mawasi in Gaza last year, were made by General Dynamics.
Hastings has long standing links to a community in al Mawasi and Councillor Hilton herself denounced these massacres as ‘inhumane’ last September.
‘The council leader joined with us in condemning the attacks on our friends in Al-Mawasi last year,’ said Grace Lally, one of the organisers of Hastings Friends of Al Mawasi.
‘But condemnation is really a meaningless gesture if we don’t do everything we can, and use any powers we have, to stop companies like General Dynamics enabling this genocide.’
Mr Holden, who was arrested, tried and found not guilty of aggravated trespass after taking part in a peaceful protest against General Dynamics in February last year, urged the council to immediately question General Dynamics about whether their factory in Hastings is supplying components to Israel.
He called on Councillor Hilton to act now ‘to ensure that HBC is not directly or indirectly implicated in the most heinous crime that any human beings can perpetrate – genocide, the deliberate attempt to exterminate an entire people’.
Big Futures career fair ditches GD
HDPSC has led 16 demonstrations at the two General Dynamics sites in Hastings over the past 19 months, disrupting and shutting down operations in protest at the arms company profiting from the genocide in Gaza.
The group has recently launched a new campaign: Schools Out for Genocide Dynamics, giving parents, carers and students the tools to challenge their schools over the presence of General Dynamics in schools and at careers fairs.
The campaign has already claimed a victory with the Big Futures career fair in Eastbourne, which dropped the arms company from its list of exhibitors. The campaign has also prompted a flood of letters to the heads of local schools.
This Friday, Hastings Jews for Justice and HDPSC will be staging a second ‘Empty pots’ protest on Friday 9 May. If you wish to join in, bring an empty pan and a wooden or metal spoon to bang it with, and meet at 8.30am outside Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, TN34 3UY.
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Also in: Campaigns
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