Around fifty activists from the collective “War against War” took part in a leafleting and filtering action in front of the Thales site in Bordeaux. The activists distributed a leaflet to Thales employees written by workers from the armaments industry in Gironde, denouncing the group’s complicity in genocide in Palestine and imperialist aggression in Iran. They also carried banners saying “War against war!” and graffiti messages on the sidewalks saying “Not a single euro for their war.”
The leaflet, signed on behalf of the collective, directly addresses defense industry workers. It highlights that working in armaments is “more of a constrained choice than a free one” in a capitalist system that deprives workers of control over what they produce. It calls to “reject employment blackmail” by suggesting concrete steps such as reclaiming rights, self-organizing, and redirecting production towards socially useful sectors like health, transportation, or energy.
This action was welcomed by some industry workers present, who responded positively to the leafleting, engaging in discussions with the activists, including with CGT Ariane union members. The collective “War against War” includes independent activists as well as political and union organizations such as Education with Gaza, Permanent Revolution, CGT Ariane, the anti-fascist AG, etc. All these sectors are united in their rejection of militarization and imperialist wars. The collective aims to build a popular antimilitarism rooted in struggles, by directly targeting where armament industries operate.
Thales plays a central role in this. With over 25% ownership by the French state, the company equips Rafale and Mirage aircraft, produces radars, and military surveillance systems. Its complicity in current wars is well-documented: Thales provides essential electronic components to Israeli arms sellers Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, without which their drones cannot fly.
At the beginning of the year, revelations showed that Thales may have been involved in developing the US biometric data management system IDENT, used by ICE for identifying and deporting migrants, while denying these collaborations.
The Bordeaux section of the collective aims to establish long-term structures, following the national momentum. In June 2025, over 4,000 people responded to the “War against War” coalition’s call against the Bourget Air Show, bringing together Palestine support groups, union and political organizations. A future appointment is already set with a gathering on Tuesday, April 28 at 12:00 in front of the Pin Galant in Merignac, against the Aeronautics, Space, and Defense Show, a recruitment fair for armament companies. All workers in aeronautics or defense in Bordeaux are invited to join the Bordeaux “War against War” collective and be present next Tuesday to once again say: war against war.
