NILES, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Police arrested protesters who blocked the entrance to a Niles facility belonging to Woodward, a missile component manufacturer, on Wednesday morning.
The protesters arrived shortly after 6 a.m. They laid down in the middle of Howard Street, where they chanted, banged on drums and held signs accusing Woodward of making money off of the war in Gaza, which the protesters said feel is a genocide.
They blamed the company for working with Boeing to put together the missiles.
“They’re just as complicit,” said one protester. “They are in that building, making the exact parts that are being dropped in Gaza, and we will not let that slide.”
WBBM has reached out to Woodward for comment.
Another protester, Mahmoud, said he and others wanted to make sure the company knew many people in Cook County object to their role.
“Niles consists of a large Muslim, Palestinian [and] Arab population,” he said. “Also, [it’s] a suburb of Chicago, which has the largest Palestinian population in the United States.”
Police in riot gear arrested protesters who had linked themselves together and were blocking the street. Protesters said 33 of them were taken into custody.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ terms for a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement. He called Hamas’ terms “delusional” and leveled harsh criticism of any arrangement that leaves the militant group in full or partial control of Gaza.
He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas, which is now in its fifth month, until Israel achieves “absolute victory.”
Netanyahu’s comments came shortly after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been traveling the region in hopes of securing a cease-fire agreement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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