Pro-Palestine protesters blocked the entrance to the parking lot of ForwardEdge ASIC Monday, preventing employees from going to work at the Lockheed Martin subsidiary.
“Production was stopped ALL DAY at ForwardEdge ASIC, Lockheed’s subsidiary in St. Paul that makes microelectronics for weapons systems,” the Minnesota Anti-War Committee posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “Activists with the Free Palestine Coalition blocked entrances & faced down police for almost 8 hours! Building got decorated too!”
VICTORY!! Production was stopped ALL DAY at ForwardEdge ASIC, Lockheed’s subsidiary in St. Paul that makes microelectronics for weapons systems.
Activists with the Free Palestine Coalition blocked entrances & faced down police for almost 8 hours! Building got decorated too! pic.twitter.com/7v7wn282tf
— MN Anti-War Committee (@AntiwarMN) November 20, 2023
Signs plastered to the windows of the St. Paul office building had various slogans on them about Gaza and Palestine. “Stop arming genocide,” one sign said. “Money for schools, not for war.”
Another photo shows protesters stretching a white banner across the parking lot entrance that read, “MN Divest from Lockheed.” The office complex houses other businesses whose employees also appeared to be blocked out, according to photos posted to X.
Still blocking Lockheed! pic.twitter.com/6HRv308dYN
— MN Anti-War Committee (@AntiwarMN) November 20, 2023
“Hey Lockheed, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” video shows protesters chanting. One protester held a sign telling employees of Lockheed to “Get a real job.”
The “Free Palestine Coalition” organized the protest, saying it was prohibiting employees from accessing the office as an act of civil disobedience.
ForwardEdge ASIC is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, a company in the defense industry. “As a global security and aerospace company, the majority of Lockheed Martin’s business is with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. federal government agencies,” Lockheed Martin’s website explains.
The company said in a statement to MPR News that it respects “the right to peaceful protest, and we are honored to deliver innovative microelectronic solutions for our commercial, healthcare, defense and security customers.”
Pro-Palestine protesters were also outside Gov. Tim Walz’s temporary residence on the campus of the University of Minnesota on Sunday. “Tim Walz, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide,” the protesters chanted.
“Wanted” posters on a truck displayed photos of Walz that read, “Wanted for facilitating the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
