Campaigners from several local groups, including CND and Palestine Solidarity gathered in Burneside on Tuesday evening (12 March 2024) to distribute leaflets inviting residents to sign an online petition launched two weeks ago by South Lakeland and Lancaster District CND. The petition is available here. It calls on James Cropper PLC / Technical Fibre Products (TFP) to withdraw from any contract that results in materials they produce being used in production of Lockheed Martin F35 Lightning II military aircraft, dozens of which are currently being employed by the Israeli Defence Force in their attacks on Gaza.
Philip Gilligan from South Lakeland and Lancaster District CND said,
“For several weeks, now, many of us have been contacting James Cropper PLC / TFP to ask about their involvement in supplying materials used in the production of F35s, dozens of which are being used by Israel in its attacks on Gaza. We have done so in the context of the International Court of Justice ruling of plausible genocide by Israel in the Gaza strip and have been very disappointed that Croppers / TFP have yet to reply to any of these enquiries. We had hoped that a company which we know to have a long and celebrated history of providing employment, caring for the natural environment and supporting community organisations and charitable initiatives across South Lakeland would be willing to consider ending its involvement with the F35 project. However, we have been given no reason to think that they will do so. Indeed, TFP was declaring on their website, as recently as 12th February 2024, that they ‘produce nonwoven solutions for a number of cutting edge military aircraft and vehicles, including the F35’. Hence, we decided to both launch the petition and to distribute leaflets in Burneside. We hope that many local residents and employees at TFP will join our call for the company to immediately halt their involvement in the F35 project.”
“At least 30,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, have been killed in Gaza during the last 5 months, 1.7 million people have been displaced, and 70% of residential buildings have been destroyed. The use of military aircraft, such as the F35, has been at the centre of this destruction and killing. We, therefore, urge Chairman Mark Cropper to initiate relevant processes that would facilitate termination of the relevant contract. We also call on our elected representatives on Westmorland and Furness Council to initiate a debate on the implications for South Lakeland industries of involvement in the potential genocide in Gaza, and on Tim Farron MP to ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will review TFP’s licence to produce materials for the F-35.”, he added. (on behalf of South Lakeland and Lancaster District CND, Kendal for a Ceasefire, Lancaster Palestine Solidarity and Palestine Solidarity Group Carlisle & District)
