Protesters Lock Down Lockheed Office for Complicity in War Crimes

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar / Pro Bono Photo

It will take a while to erase the bloody hand prints and "merchant of death" signs from the street in front of Lockheed Martin's San Francisco, Battery Street offices. They resulted from the December 8th protest that accused Lockheed Martin of genocide and complicity in war crimes.

Lockheed makes the bombs and planes Israel is using to slaughter 17,000 (so far) Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children. US proxy, Israel, and the US are completely isolated as every other country in the world has demanded a cease fire.

Code Pink organizer Cynthia Papermaster and a couple of activists snuck into the service entrance to serve a "Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal" subpoena, confusing the "security" personnel.

Lockheed, one of the most high-tech companies in the country, a vast enterprise of sold out engineering talent, felt the need to lock their front doors with a jury rigged bicycle chain wrapped around the handles.

Demonstrators shouted slogans through the hastily locked front doors and displayed banners and signs. They sang somewhat modified Christmas carols. Lockheed's "bloody" hands and "Merchant of Death" signs pointing to the building were printed on the sidewalk. Child sized coffins, marked with the many countries in which Lockheed products are used to slaughter people, were set up.

Code Pink, who organized the action, states:
Lockheed is "public enemy number one" for a world that deserves to live in peace, cooperation, and true security. Lockheed spends millions to influence U.S. foreign policy, promoting continual bloody conflicts in order to keep profits high. They bribe Congress, which then votes to spend billions of our tax dollars to fund violence all over the globe. LM has facilities in almost every state, creating a "war economy" with hundreds of thousands of jobs making killing machines. Lockheed workers deserve to do work for good, not for bloody wars. Lockheed could make products that help the planet, not destroy it. The $14 billion Biden is asking Congress to approve for the Israeli military? Let's use it instead to help Palestine, and for health care, housing, education, clean energy and community needs in the USA.

See all high resolution photos here.