A group of protesters carrying a coffin draped with a Palestinian flag received trespassing citations this morning after entering a Rosslyn office building.
A crowd of about 30 people entered Arlington Tower, home of the Israel-based defense firm Elbit Systems, around 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to scanner traffic.
Wearing shirts reading “Elbit = Death” and waving both Palestinian and transgender flags, the activists dumped debris from urns onto the floor of the building at at 1300 17th Street N., materials shared with ARLnow show.
A press release from a group called Eject Elbit described the event as a “political funeral” meant to draw awareness both to casualties in Palestine and the Transgender Day of Visibility.
Scanner chatter described “multiple people running in all different directions” following a police announcement over a loudspeaker.
Multiple tipsters sent ARLnow photos of protesters being detained. The Arlington County Police Department clarified that they received trespassing citations and were later released from the scene.
“At approximately 8:38 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a crowd in the area of 17th Street N. at N. Oak Street,” ACPD said in a statement to ARLnow. “The individuals subsequently entered a building in the 1300 block of 17th Street N. and fled the scene. Responding officers canvassed the area, located 24 involved individuals, detained them and issued trespassing notices.”
“The individuals were then released from the scene,” a police spokesperson added. “The investigation into the incident is ongoing and additional charges may be sought as a result of the investigation.”
Most protesters had dispersed as of 10:45 a.m., while the coffin remained on the ground in Belvedere Park.
The press release described the event as part of a “Trans Day of Rage,” an apparent reference to widespread “Day of Rage” protests that took place internationally in the first days of the Israel-Hamas war.
“Elbit Systems is the largest Israeli weapons manufacturer, famous for 500-lb. bombs, the drones they build that buzz constantly above Gaza, and surveillance technology along the US-Mexican border,” the press release said. “Activists rebuke Elbit as a merchant of death and call on Arlington Tower to end their lease.”
Activists previously targeted Arlington Tower in November 2023, splashing red paint and scrawling messages with the words “Shut Elbit Down.”
Elbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
