Brooklyn Navy Yard Protesters Target Israeli-Linked Weapon Makers

Since early 2024, the autonomous collective Demilitarize the Brooklyn Navy Yard has staged weekly, high-volume protests at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to spotlight companies it says sell weapons to the Israeli Defense Forces. The group singled out drone maker Easy Aerial and tactical-gear producer Crye Precision, accusing both of feeding Israel’s war in Gaza and also supplying U.S. agencies such as ICE. Easy Aerial’s lease expired in May and was not renewed, a victory DBNY cites as proof of its strategy, while Crye Precision remains on site despite intensified picketing, arrests, and a documented assault on a demonstrator.

Organizers have met with the Navy Yard Development Corporation’s leadership, Lindsay Greene and Hank Gutman, but were told no legal basis existed to evict the firms. The campaign ties local direct action to national movements like BDS, Block the Boat, and similar eviction drives against Israeli arms firms in other cities, arguing that ending weapons production in Brooklyn is part of a larger effort to halt U.S. support for the conflict.