Pro-Palestine campaigners gathered outside Lockheed Martin’s Havant facility yesterday demanding an arms embargo against Israel, protesting the company’s production of F-35 fighter jet components being supplied to Israeli forces.
Demonstrators assembled at the defence manufacturer’s premises on Langstone Road on Monday morning (17 June), organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The facility remained closed during the planned demonstration.
Campaign director Ben Jamal described the Gaza conflict as “genocide” and said the company had dispatched seven shipments of F-35 components since October 2023, enabling what he termed Israel’s continued operations in Gaza.
Protesters march through town centre
The demonstration began at Havant Park before proceeding to the Langstone Technology Park facility. Activists carried banners and chanted slogans whilst marching through the town centre, with some local residents expressing opposition to the protesters as they passed The Parchment Makers pub in Park Road North.
Police intervened when a woman confronted banner-carrying demonstrators, asking her to move away from the protest.
Mr Jamal told reporters: “We are demonstrating outside facilities supplying components for F-35 aircraft that Israel uses to bring devastation upon Gaza’s population. This forms part of our demand for a complete arms embargo – we’re taking that demand directly to the companies we consider merchants of death.”
Campaign highlights humanitarian concerns
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which has operated in the UK for over three decades, argues there are moral and legal requirements preventing Britain from supporting states allegedly committing genocide.
“Since March, Israel has maintained a complete blockade of Gaza, preventing food, water, and essential supplies from entering,” Mr Jamal stated. “This has brought Palestinians to the brink of starvation, with 2,700 Palestinian infants currently receiving treatment for acute malnutrition and thousands more at risk.”
The campaign highlighted previous successes, including John Lewis removing SodaStream products from stores due to the company’s Israeli operations.
Government response on arms licences
The government suspended 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel in September 2024, though campaigners demand a complete embargo. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed the suspension of export licences potentially usable by Israeli Defence Forces.
“We have successfully implemented the suspension decision and continue refusing all relevant licence applications. We have suspended direct exports of F-35 components for Israeli use, and categorically do not export bombs or ammunition which could be used in Gaza,” the spokesperson added.
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Company statement
A Lockheed Martin representative said: “We respect the right to peaceful protest and remain focused on supporting our customers to deliver strategic deterrence and security solutions.”
The Gaza conflict, which escalated following the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023, has resulted in more than 57,000 reported deaths as of 11 June 2025, including 55,720 Palestinians and 1,706 Israelis.
