On March 27, Reject Raytheon demonstrated at the entrance to the Asheville Country Club on the occasion of a luncheon at the Club featuring local business and government officials involved with the development of the Pratt & Whitney plant in Asheville. Reject Raytheon's intent with the demonstration was to bring to mind that the plant produces parts used in the war effort, and issued the following statement in advance:
Pratt& Whitney, a division of RTX (Raytheon), is one of the world’s largest jet engine producers. It opened a huge facility in Asheville in 2022 to manufacture turbine airfoil components, 50% of which are likely for military fighter jets such as the F-16 and F-35 currently being used by Israel in the Gaza genocide.
This is what the ad for this event says: The company’s decision to locate its 1.2 million square foot plant here has important implications – both for our region’s economy and our national security. At LAF’s March 27th Critical Issues Forum, we’ll explore the evolution of that decision and how it was coordinated with the help of state and local officials.
This is an event meant to celebrate this “achievement” b the local business community and pave the way for more of the same kind of “economic development” in the Asheville area.
