Pro-Palestinian activists in Belgium damage equipment bound for Ukraine
Pro-Palestinian activists carried out a coordinated action against the Belgian company OIP in Tournai, Belgium. (Photo: Hen Mazzig/Х)
In the Belgian city of Tournai, pro-Palestinian activists
broke into the premises of the defense company OIP and damaged equipment that
was reportedly intended for Ukraine, Brussels
Signal reported on June 24.
The coordinated actions targeted two Belgian companies — OIP
in Tournai and Syensqo in Haren — with activists accusing them of complicity in
Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“While large-scale protests focused on Israel, the most
immediate and severe consequences were felt in Tournai, where equipment
designated for Ukraine’s military efforts was seriously damaged,” the report
said.
On June 23, around 100 masked activists entered the grounds
of OIP, the Belgian subsidiary of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
“They entered our buildings with angle grinders and hammers.
It was an especially well-prepared action,” said company CEO Freddy Versluys.
He said the pro-Palestinian group began smashing desks and
computers before moving on to heavily damage several vehicles.
“We’re now facing a delay of at least a month in delivering
critical equipment to Ukraine,” Versluys said.
He estimated the financial damage at nearly 1 million euros
and confirmed that the company had filed an official complaint.
“And most of the protesters were clearly women. I’d estimate
about 80 percent. We can see it clearly in the video — from how they behave and
how they handle the hammers,” Versluys added.
OIP’s operations in Belgium have been focused primarily on
Ukraine. The company specializes in maintenance, repair, and upgrades of
military equipment. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, OIP has supplied the
Ukrainian army with about 260 armored vehicles.
Versluys emphasized that his company has not produced
defense systems for Israel in over 20 years. He added that OIP does not even
hold an export license to supply equipment to that country.
“These are vandals who took the opportunity to commit
outright vandalism — abusing the Palestinian cause to do it,” he said.
On June 20, pro-Palestinian activists broke into a Royal Air
Force base in the United Kingdom and sprayed red paint on two military
aircraft. The group claimed they also damaged other equipment and disabled the
planes.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
