Stop the War on Palestine Group organised a well-attended protest outside Quickstep Holdings, which manufactures parts for F-35 joint strike fighters, in Bankstown in southern Sydney, on April 13. There was also a heavy police presence.
Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters attended, including Bankstown residents of Palestinian, Lebanese and Arab decent. Socialist groups, Labor For Palestine, trade union representatives, Students for Palestine and Jews against Occupation ’48 also took part.
Speakers condemned Quicksteps for supplying parts to Israel’s Occupation Army, which is unleashing a genocide in Gaza.
They asked the federal government to come clean on how many companies are selling weapons to Israel.
Quickstep manufactures advanced composite components to aerospace and defence-quality standards and has partnered with Northrop Grumman Corporation to produce parts for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter which is being used against Palestinians in Gaza.
A Dutch Court in February issued a halt in the production of the F-35, citing potential complicity in Israeli human rights abuses.