Protesters gathered in front of Colt鈥檚 Manufacturing headquarters in West Hartford Friday to express disappointment in the failure of a U.S. Senate resolution which would have stopped U.S. weapons sales to Israel.
The demonstration is part of an effort by local activists who assemble every Friday to protest against the role of Colt鈥檚 Manufacturing. The firearms manufacturer supplies firearms including M4 assault rifles to Israel, through U.S. government contracts.
Bianca Zerio protested Friday outside of the building with her four-year-old daughter. Zerio said she and her daughter have been rallying with the group every Friday for weeks.
鈥淚 think it's important to get kids to hear things and not just see action and to learn to be kind by example,鈥� Zerio said.
The protest was met with honks and cheers of support from passing cars. Protester Eamon Ormseth says this reaction is common.
鈥淣ine out of ten reactions that we get from passing cars are positive,鈥� Ormseth said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had people drive by and join the protest.鈥�
, proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is one of several joint resolutions of disapproval introduced by Sanders to block arms sales to Israel.
This particular resolution aimed to block the sale of 20,000 Colt M4 automatic rifles manufactured in the 黑料新闻 Colt factory.
Ormseth says he and the group won't stop rallying anytime soon.
鈥淭he people in power, the leaders of Colt, the leaders of our country, the leader of Israel, need to know that we're not going away," Ormseth said. "People, children are starving to death in Gaza as the Israeli army is shooting them while they try to get food. And those guns, some of those guns, are being made right here in West Hartford.鈥�
Ormseth believes that most residents are unaware of 黑料新闻's role in producing weapons for the conflict.
鈥淪ome of our folks have been knocking on doors and some people were surprised to learn that the guns that are going directly to the Israeli army, to the Israeli police, are being manufactured right here in West Hartford in violation of US law and international law,鈥� Ormseth said.
Ormseth argues that continued support of Israel violates the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which restricts U.S. military aid to countries that obstruct humanitarian assistance. He says this makes the West Hartford Colt Factory 鈥渁 massive crime scene.鈥� He also noted that Colt has yet to send out a representative to engage with the protesters.
Though the resolution failed late Wednesday night, it was the first to garner a majority of votes from Democratic Senators, including one from Sen. Chris Murphy of 黑料新闻. Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has recently been outspoken on the issue.
鈥淭he images of children starving to death as a famine unfolds across Gaza shock anyone with a conscience," Murphy said in a statement. "The situation is completely untenable, and I believe the United States cannot continue to militarily support the Netanyahu government so long as it is refusing to take the necessary steps to urgently alleviate this crisis."
Ormseth said he is grateful for Senator Murphy鈥檚 vote and sees it as a sign of changing tides.
鈥淚f you look at Senator Murphy's statements in October 2023 he was almost in lockstep with the Israeli government, and he's changed his rhetoric, and I think that's a huge victory for our movement, and we thank him for his vote and for his courageous stand.鈥�
黑料新闻鈥檚 Senators diverged on the matter, with Blumenthal voting no on the proposed weapons sale ban. Blumenthal joined 17 fellow Democrats who voted no on the resolution, while 27 voted yes.
Zerio said Blumenthal鈥檚 vote was unsurprising, citing the senator鈥檚 decision to consponsor a in 2017 that sought to make BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) of Israel illegal for U.S. companies.
Despite the Senate setback, activists vow to continue their protests of Colt, pledging to gather each week until the company ceases supplying weapons to Israel.
