Since last year, a group of protesters known as Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard has gathered outside the shipyard nearly every week, calling on its board of directors to evict two tenants the group says provide military equipment to Israel for its ongoing offensive in Gaza — a claim the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation firmly denies.
The companies — Crye Precision, which manufactures tactical clothing and equipment, and Easy Aerial, a drone and drone software producer — have both drawn scrutiny from the group. In a promotional YouTube video, Easy Aerial showcased its drones being used to monitor the Israeli-Gaza border.
At a July 23 protest held in the plaza outside the Navy Yard, the group struck a more urgent tone. Demonstrators cited growing concerns about famine in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians are at risk of starvation due to Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid, including food, water and medical supplies. On July 28, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that 147 people, including 88 children, had died from starvation. A day earlier, the Israeli government announced it would temporarily halt military operations for 10 hours a day to allow for secure aid routes.
Holding posters with images of emaciated Palestinian children and signs reading “Stop Starving Gaza,” protesters accused the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) of being complicit in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by continuing to lease space to the two companies.
One protester told the crowd that, while children in Gaza face starvation, BNYDC permits Crye Precision and Easy Aerial to operate and profit on “public land.” The Brooklyn Navy Yard, once a shipbuilding facility for the U.S. Navy, is city-owned and managed by BNYDC, a nonprofit organization that oversees the site’s development and leasing.
“Right now, we have to be as loud as we’ve ever been before because the people of Gaza are starving to death,” they said.
In a statement to the Brooklyn Paper, BDNYC said there are no weapons manufacturers operating at the Yard, and that no weapons are produced on-site. The agency also noted that Crye Precision has been a tenant at the Navy Yard for more than 20 years and described the company as a model tenant, employing 250 New Yorkers at its facility.
“Evictions are specific legal proceedings,” a spokesperson said. “Lease terms focus on financial obligations (i.e., rent), obligations as to compliance with laws, permitted uses, maintenance of premises, etc., but do not regulate particular business activities of tenants nor their choice of customers.”
Crye Precision, which describes itself as a “textile company that manufactures shirts, pants, jackets, backpacks, and other individually-worn equipment for defensive use” — and is listed under “Fashion/Accessories” on the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s website — has vehemently denied any involvement with the Israel Defense Forces.
“The claims being made about Crye Precision are false and misleading,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. “Among other inaccuracies, Crye Precision does not sell weapons or drones, nor does it have any contracts with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).”
Easy Aerial declined to comment. On its website, the company describes itself as a developer of autonomous drone systems “used globally for defense, security, and emergency response.”
In response to ongoing demonstrations, BNYDC said it has implemented a number of measures to ensure the safety of both tenants and protesters, including setting up a designated protest area near Building 77, enhancing its security presence and installing additional cameras throughout the Yard.
“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,” the rep said. “This means keeping fire exits clear and enforcing campus safety rules, while also respecting everyone’s right to engage in peaceful protest.”
BNYDC said it works with local law enforcement when protests interfere with emergency access points. In one recent case, several protesters were arrested after blocking a critical fire exit used by more than 1,300 employees; they were released shortly after, and BNYDC declined to press charges. The agency also confirmed that it temporarily revoked Yard access for an employee involved in an altercation with protesters, and worked with the individual’s employer to ensure disciplinary action was taken.
Experts warn of dire conditions in Gaza
International pressure to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been mounting for months. The United Nations, aid groups, and medical workers have warned that hunger in the region has reached what they call “new levels of desperation.”
On July 29, the Integrated Security Phase Classification — a global authority on food insecurity and malnutrition — warned that the “worst-case scenario of famine” was unfolding in Gaza.
“Immediate action must be taken to end the hostilities and allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response,” the IPC said in a statement. “This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering.”
According to the UN World Food Program, malnutrition is surging, with nearly one in three people in Gaza going for days without eating. On July 22, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said soaring malnourishment and the risk of famine were turning the situation into a “horror show.”
While the UN welcomed Israel’s July 27 pledge to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, officials and aid workers warned that the measures fell short of what is urgently needed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “there was no starvation in Gaza,” but UN representatives emphasized that only a cease-fire and “unfettered aid access” could help stem the “spiraling humanitarian catastrophe.”
“This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis. Across the UN agencies and humanitarian community, we are mobilized to save as many lives as we can,” Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. The Israeli government has said the ongoing offensive is aimed at dismantling Hamas’ military infrastructure and recovering hostages still held in Gaza.
The World Health Organization reported that nearly one in five children under age 5 in Gaza City is acutely malnourished. In just the first two weeks of July, more than 5,000 children under 5 were admitted for outpatient malnutrition treatment, 18% of whom were diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the most life-threatening form. More than 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza were also reported to be severely malnourished.
Last week, the United Kingdom and 29 other countries — including France, Canada, Poland and Japan — issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. The coalition described Israel’s current aid delivery model as “dangerous,” accused it of fueling instability, and condemned the “drip-feeding of aid” and the killing of civilians, including children, who were seeking water and food.
The U.S. has continued to supply military aid to Israel while calling for increased humanitarian access to Gaza. New York City officials have not commented directly on the Navy Yard protests.
