Activists Vandalize Brooklyn Navy Yard in Escalating Anti-Israel Campaign
Executive Summary
A group of anti-Israel activists vandalized the Brooklyn Navy Yard overnight, covering its entrance in red paint and spray-painting messages demanding the eviction of military contractors Easy Aerial and Crye Precision. The attack is part of a sustained campaign led by the group Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard (DBNY), which has been organizing protests against the companies’ ties to the Israeli military. Activists argue that Easy Aerial’s drones and Crye Precision’s tactical gear directly support Israel’s war efforts in Gaza, as well as U.S. military and police operations. The latest escalation comes amid a broader wave of anti-Israel protests across the country, targeting businesses, universities, and public infrastructure.
Analysis
The Brooklyn Navy Yard has increasingly become a battleground for activists pushing against U.S. corporate ties to Israel. DBNY, which has staged multiple demonstrations since September, claims that Easy Aerial and Crye Precision profit from Israeli military operations and contribute to what they describe as a “genocide” in Gaza. The activists cite a recent United Nations report condemning businesses supplying the Israeli military, arguing that companies like Easy Aerial play a critical role in the surveillance and targeting of Palestinians.
The overnight vandalism marks a shift from protest to direct action. Activists used fire extinguishers to spray red paint across the entrance, symbolizing bloodshed, while scrawling slogans such as “Evict Easy Aerial” and “Evict Crye Precision” on the building’s columns. DBNY has framed the attack as a necessary escalation, calling their demands “the bare minimum” and vowing to continue disrupting operations until the companies are removed.
While DBNY’s actions have garnered support from sections of the pro-Palestinian movement, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation has so far remained silent, though security measures at the site have reportedly increased. The broader implications of these protests extend beyond Brooklyn. Across the U.S., anti-Israel activists have ramped up their efforts, staging demonstrations at airports, disrupting traffic, and targeting businesses with alleged ties to the Israeli defense industry. In Boston, similar activism forced the closure of an Elbit Systems office, and protesters now hope to replicate that success in New York.
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