CAMPAIGN groups from across Cumbria have brought their fight to the premises of a Cumbrian firm, calling for a 'withdrawal from their contracts producing material for F35 jet planes'. 

They organised a protest outside James Croppers PLC in Burneside on September 4 ahead of the company's AGM.

The protest was led by activists from Palestine Solidarity Group Carlisle & District, Lancaster PSC, South Lakes, Lancashire CND and Kendal for a Ceasefire.

TFP, a subsidiary of James Cropper PLC, is believed to produce non-woven solutions for various military aircraft and vehicles, the F35 included, according to the Campaigns Against Arms Trade (CAAT).

Palestine flag waived outside Croppers AGM, BurnesidePalestine flag waived outside Croppers AGM, Burneside (Image: FGoldie)

Croppers' CEO, Steve Adams, issued a statement at the AGM: "James Cropper Advanced Materials manufactures some of the highest quality non-woven materials available globally.

"Our products have a broad range of applications including fire safety, corrosion prevention, light-weighting and insulating materials, and we are proud to make these at our longstanding headquarters in Burneside.

"Working with hundreds of commercial customers, our products feature in finished products across multiple industries including aerospace and defence, as detailed on our website, where we directly and indirectly supply some of the world’s leading and most trusted manufacturers."

He added that while they supply materials for aircraft in the defence sector, they take a stand against supplying 'ballistics or missile systems'.

"Our products are supplied only to commercial companies, often as part of complex and long lead supply chains across various critical industries.

"We absolutely support everyone’s right to peacefully voice their opinions.

"We recognise the profound human suffering caused by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and we urge governments and the international community to collaborate to find a peaceful solution," he said. 

Disagreeing with the notion, Fiona Goldie of the Palestine Solidarity Group Carlisle & District, said: "Croppers' claim that they do not make armaments or ballistics, but they do make parts for the war machines that drop those armaments and ballistics - war machines that have been proven without doubt to have taken part in the killing of civilians in the Al Mawasi safe zone.

"The F35s (and F16s) which Israel uses to bomb Gaza could not function without the 'parts' they are made up of: parts developed and produced in Burneside."

She insisted that despite distancing themselves from the destruction in Gaza, Croppers is "implicit, if not complicit", due to their continued manufacturing of parts for these planes.

"We continue to call for Croppers to stop arming Israel and to stop facilitating genocide," she said.