Palestinian Youth Movement holds protest outside Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth
About 80 demonstrators stood outside Lockheed Martin’s gates in west Fort Worth to protest a shipment of F-35 wings that they say arrived at the company Thursday.
The protest, hosted by the Palestinian Youth Movement, began at 2 p.m. and went on for a couple hours on a patch of land just a few feet from the defense contractor’s gates at 300 Lockheed Blvd. The group held signs that said “Let Gaza Live” and “Stop Justifying Genocide,” in addition to shouting “Free Palestine” and other chants at Lockheed employees coming and going from the facility.
There was not much in the form of counter protests, beyond a few drivers honking as they passed by or peeling out as they left the nearby intersection.
Noor Saleh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said the organization has been leading an active campaign over the past year against shipping company Maersk for the way it “facilitates the genocide in Gaza.”
Saleh said that Maersk ships jet and weapon components, including F-35 wings, to Lockheed Martin, which then builds jets used by Israel.
“In doing so, [Maersk] are facilitators of the slaughter on Gaza,” Saleh said.
As far as the endgame for the campaign against Maersk, Saleh said the only demand the Palestinian Youth Movement has is an arms embargo.
Saleh said the organization refuses to stand by as Israel ships weapon components to the U.S. to be developed and then used on the people of Gaza. Saleh also had a message for Lockheed Martin workers.
“You are the hands that are developing these weapons for the Israeli occupation army to then commit genocide,” Saleh said. “Your action is powerful. Take action, refuse complicity and genocide.”
The Star-Telegram reached out to Lockheed Martin for comment on the protest. Here’s what they said.
“We are absolutely supportive of the right to peaceful protest. Along with that, we are also proud of the work that we do to support our U.S. government and its deterrents and its national security, as well as the government’s allies,” a spokesperson said.
