Pro-Palestinian protesters block entrances to Lockheed Martin facility in Sunnyvale
Protesters blocked entrances to a Lockheed Martin research facility in Sunnyvale on Thursday morning over what they say is the defense contractor's role in Israel's ongoing bombing of Gaza.
People with the Bay Area Palestine Solidarity coalition gathered at around 6 a.m. to protest Lockheed Martin's supplying of Israel with fighter jets, missiles and other weapons and surveillance technology.
"We have gathered here to disrupt Lockheed Martin's operations and demand that the U.S. stop all arms sales to Israel," protester Maramiya Yensoon said in a statement.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said in a statement regarding the protest: "Lockheed Martin's core values are to do what's right, respect others and perform with excellence. These values provide clear, unambiguous and uncompromising standards for how we treat each other with understanding and compassion. We respect the right to peaceful protest and we are honored to partner with the U.S. military and our international partners to deliver strategic deterrence and security solutions."
During the protest, a video posted on social media channels showed a Lockheed Martin employee speeding his vehicle toward the protesters blocking the entrance and then brandishing a knife at the protesters during a confrontation with them.
The unidentified employee is seen exiting his car, grabbing a knife out of his pocket as he confronts protesters saying, "Get out of the way or somebody is gonna die! I'm telling you right now, somebody is gonna die ... I gotta get to my job!"
In an emailed statement to CBS News Bay Area, a Lockheed Martin spokesman said, "We respect the right to fair and peaceful protest. We expect employees to follow our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and will thoroughly investigate violations of that standard."
