Eight demonstrators were arrested outside the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Sept. 17 during a protest demanding that the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation terminate the leases of two tenants, Crye Precision and Easy Aerial, who protesters say supply Israel’s military with weapons used in its ongoing war with Gaza.
The protest, organized by Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard as part of its weekly demonstrations, coincided with a BNYDC board and committee meeting. While some activists rallied outside Building 92, where the meeting was held, a group of seven staged a sit-in at the intersection of Flushing and Clinton avenue, blocking the entrance to the Yard’s parking lot before the NYPD arrested them.
Another protester was arrested later during a noise demonstration and picket line outside Building 77.
At a press conference outside Building 92, State Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) said he was “horrified” to learn that two businesses with alleged ties to the Israel Defense Forces were BNYDC tenants. He noted that he had been a staunch supporter of BNYDC President and CEO Lindsay Greene’s mission to support underserved communities, create economic growth and jobs, and invest in high-tech and green-tech sectors.
Brisport said the lack of transparency and accountability at BNYDC was troubling.
“I have seen them do a lot of work to make sure they are centering the marginalized, the Black and Brown people in our community, women-owned businesses, immigrants, [and] formerly incarcerated. We cannot do all that on the backs of a genocide,” Brisport said. “It is nothing but hypocritical to uplift the marginalized here while harming the marginalized in Gaza. Our public resources should be responsive to the public and should go toward community-centered uses.”
A BNYDC spokesperson told the Brooklyn Paper that leases are legally binding documents outlining financial obligations and requirements such as compliance with laws and permitted uses.
“Neither lease regulates particular business activities of tenants, meaning we have no legal basis to consider this action,” the spokesperson. “As the nonprofit steward of a 300-acre industrial park, our primary responsibility is to keep the Yard safe and secure for the thousands of New Yorkers who work here every day, ensuring we live up to our mission of attracting businesses, creating high-quality jobs, and connecting the local community with the opportunities here.”
Activist and organizer Maisha Morales told Brooklyn Paper that she and other community members had been scheduled to speak at the board meeting but were notified the night before that the public speaking portion had been canceled.
Morales, who advocates for women and Black and Brown-owned businesses, said she urged elected officials to get more involved.
“I’ve been reaching out to my elected officials, expressing my concerns, expressing the community’s concern, and asking them to get involved,” Morales said. “They all seem sympathetic. They have to do more research, and I get it, but at some point, they need to speak up, because they themselves are now complicit with their silence.”
BNYDC said the meeting was not closed to the public and that those who wanted to speak were informed in advance that there would be no public comment period. Observers were allowed to watch from a designated viewing room, under the same capacity and protocol as previous meetings.
Protesters say Crye Precision, listed under “Fashion/Accessories” in BNYDC’s directory, manufactures tactical clothing and equipment used by the IDF and U.S. law enforcement, including the NYPD. Crye Precision, a tenant for more than 20 years, denied the claims in a previous statement to Brooklyn Paper.
“The claims being made about Crye Precision are false and misleading. Among other inaccuracies, Crye Precision does not sell weapons or drones, nor does it have any contracts with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),” the company said.
Easy Aerial, categorized as “Fine Arts/Photography,” produces drones and drone software and has a contract with Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Protesters say the Israeli military uses the technology in its war against Gaza. In a promotional YouTube video, Easy Aerial showcased its drones being used to monitor the Israeli-Gaza border.
An activist who requested to be identified only as Mary, and who joined Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard in March, said BNYDC board members — many of whom lead nonprofit organizations — should be accountable to the community rather than “weapons manufacturers.”
“Whose side are you [BNYDC] on?” Mary said. “Why the cowardice in the face of all these demands from your community that you are beholden to?”
BNYDC responded, emphasizing that “there are no weapons manufacturers at the Yard, and no weapons are manufactured on-site.”
Since Oct. 7, 2023, when terrorist group Hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage, Israel has conducted military operations in Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 64,964 people in the territory have been killed. On Sept. 16, the Israel Defense Forces began an “expanded ground operation” in Gaza City, prompting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee south, though many remain due to ongoing dangers, deteriorating conditions, and fear of permanent displacement.
Activist John Mark Rozendaal said he joined the protest because he could not remain idle while children in Gaza are starving.
“It’s unbearable to watch and it’s unbearable to understand our complicity, the complicity of U.S. citizens, in this genocide,” Rozendaal said.
Attempts to confirm the charges of those arrested at Wednesday’s protests were unsuccessful.
