Protesters set sights on L3Harris, speak at City Council meeting

NORTHAMPTON — L3Harris KEO’s local office was again in the crosshairs of protesters this week, as more than 100 people gathered Thursday in front of the defense contractor’s Village Hill headquarters to decry the company’s presence in the city.

The group then marched to city hall to demonstrate there and to share their thoughts with the City Council, which was holding a regularly scheduled meeting.

“We’re all out here today because we are not willing to tolerate L3Harris, a merchant of death, being in our community anymore,” said Ashwin Ravikumar, an Amherst resident and member of the River Valley Democratic Socialists of America, in an interview during the protest.

L3Harris KEO, formerly known as Kollmorgen, is a subsidiary of L3Harris, one of the largest military defense contractors in the country. The Northampton facility manufactures periscopes and other optical equipment that have military applications, such as for submarines. L3Harris also provides boost propulsion systems for ballistic missile systems that are launched from submarines, according to the company’s website. Ballistic missile systems on submarines often carry nuclear warheads.

Several protests have occurred in front of the facility over the last two years, particularly since the outbreak of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas in October 2023. Activist groups were recently reinvigorated after learning that the city entered into a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement with the facility in 2009 that provided annual 5% tax exemption to the business. The TIF agreement expired in 2022.

“For 13 years, the city of Northampton has given tax breaks to this massive weapons and surveillance giant,” Ravikumar said.

The coalition of more than 20 activist groups partaking in Thursday’s protests included Demilitarize Western Mass, Western Mass Code Pink, Jewish Voice for Peace, River Valley Democratic Socialists of America and UMass Students for Justice in Palestine. The activists highlighted not just L3Harris’s ties to the Israeli military but also to the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with protesters drawing parallels between the war in Gaza and current U.S. immigration policy.

The protest was also meant to coincide with the May Day labor holiday and was held in coordination with a protest in the city of Brighton in the United Kingdom, where another L3Harris facility is located.

Ravikumar said the goal of the protest was to pressure the city into doing something about the facility’s continued presence in Northampton, saying it was contrary to the city’s famed progressive values.

“We’re calling on the city of Northampton to ban further weapons manufacturing in the city, and to invest in an economy that actually serves the people,” Ravikumar said. “Workers deserve more than paychecks that are soaked in blood working for companies like L3Harris.”

The protesters began their demonstration at the L3Harris KEO facility on Prince Street before marching to City Hall, where they were joined by another group of protestors already protesting against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Following the protest, several of those who participated then attended the council meeting to speak during public comment.

“It is tragic to be so close to something that creates weapons of destruction that just cause such harm,” said Northampton resident Noah Kelly told the council. “This city claims to be progressive and for peace, and having a weapons manufacturer in the area is not for peace.”

Michael Beatty, also of Northampton, said having L3Harris in the city felt like “blood on his hands” as a taxpaying resident.

“Those of us who are organizing will not stop until L3Harris either converts to producing only civilian technology or leaves,” Beatty said. “Won’t you please join us in protecting this community by drawing a moral, spiritual and civic line on the ground against L3Harris and their profitable crimes?”

Councilors did not comment, as they are not allowed to respond during public comment time.

In 2019, the City Council passed an ordinance that allows the city to refuse contracts to a company that “participates in the design, manufacture or maintenance of nuclear weapons.” However in an email to activists send before Thursday’s protest by a staff member for Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said that a business certificate is mainly used to help creditors track business, and would not prevent the company from operating or conducting business in the city. The email also said the 2019 resolution does not apply to business certificates, only contracts, and the city has no current active contracts with L3Harris.

“If any such contract were ever under consideration, Mayor Sciarra would ensure that the provisions of Ordinance 19.113 are applied, and L3 Harris would be disqualified from the procurement process, as outlined in the ordinance,” the email states.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.