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Multiple residents urge Charleston County to end incentives and contracts with Elbit Systems
Summary
During public comment, more than a half dozen speakers urged county council to terminate tax incentives and other support for Elbit Systems, a weapons manufacturer in Ladson, citing moral and humanitarian objections and expressing concern about local impacts on schools and community resources.
Numerous speakers during the public comment period on Tuesday urged Charleston County Council to end tax incentives, grants and other support for Elbit Systems, a defense manufacturer located in Ladson.
Speakers described moral objections and potential local impacts. "I can't stay silent while my taxes are being used to aid and abet the genocide," said Dr. Saffana Siddiqui, a physician who stated she takes care of people in Charleston. "We want Elbit shut down," she said. Gia Ellis, identifying herself as a member of the Elbit Out of South Carolina Coalition and a preschool and kindergarten teacher, said she was joined by neighbors from across the county protesting both the incentives and Elbit's presence.
Other speakers echoed those concerns. "Elbit Systems makes a very handy profit off of killing children," said Martin Levinson, who described himself as a longtime resident. Autumn Waddell, a county resident, said she could not understand why the council provided what she described as "massive tax incentives" and taxpayer dollars to a company whose largest client is a foreign military and which she said has been implicated in war crimes; she said the county should instead fund schools and infrastructure. Emma Abrams urged the council to "fund our schools, not bombs." Several speakers also referenced the county's previously approved FILOT or related incentives and asked the council to rescind or reconsider them.
Speakers included neighborhood residents, teachers, a physician and members of advocacy groups; the transcript shows multiple individuals signed up and spoke in sequence. The public comment period did not produce an immediate council directive to revoke any contracts or incentives; council took no action during the public comment period to change agreements. Council members acknowledged hearing the comments and thanked speakers at the conclusion of public comment.
The public comments appear in the meeting record, and several speakers indicated they will continue to follow up with the council outside the meeting.
