Protestors blocked the entrances to the Pratt & Whitney factory in Middletown Monday morning over the war in Gaza.
“Protestors are demanding that Pratt & Whitney end the company’s contract with Israel and all exports to Israel immediately and begin the transition to a peace-based economy where the engines will not enable war and genocide,” the group that organized the demonstration, which only identified itself as “an independent group,” said in a statement.
According to the group, about 50 protestors took part in the demonstration,
“This demonstration is part of a nationwide effort to target companies complicit in the arming of the Israeli military during its assault on Gaza, and is also in solidarity with A15 Action, a coordinated economic blockade in over 30 cities around the world on April 15,” the group said.
“Pratt & Whitney produces the engines used in multiple Israeli warplanes that bomb Gaza … including engines produced and tested at the Middletown facility. The company is also engaged in a 15-year contract with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and has been supplying Israel with military aircraft since 1947,” the protestors added.
“Israel would not be able to do this without Pratt & Whitney, and their parent company RTX.”
The Middletown Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking details about its response to the demonstration and whether any arrests have been made.
A spokesperson for Pratt & Whitney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.