Dallas Fort Worth unites to stop the bombs in Garland

Garland, TX – A coalition of DFW Anti War Committee, Palestinian Youth Movement and Freedom Road Socialist Organization rallied outside the REPKON USA facility off of Glenbrook Drive, on October 10. Settled in a relatively quiet suburb outside of Dallas next to a high school football stadium, the REPKON facility spans 38 acres and is responsible for the production of the Mk-80 and BLU-109 “bunker buster” bombs, the vast majority of the munitions dropped on families and refugee camps in Gaza along with other theatres of war around the globe.

Formerly part of General Dynamics, the facility was sold to REPKON’s defense holdings in 2025. The facility itself is no stranger to public pressure, with groups having held multiple teach-ins, community canvases, rallies and direct actions there since 2023 while it was still owned by General Dynamics.

Reacting to the impact of this facility, Siham Saadeh with Code Pink Dallas and the DFW Anti-War Committee said, “For many of us across DFW, learning that a bomb body plant, disguised as an aerospace defense site, sits blocks from a high school field was like a blow to the gut. It is shocking, ominous and unbearable. Communities across the world, especially in Gaza, live under the real-world consequences of these weapons every single day. And yet, we’re transforming that shock into action. Our resistance to this bomb manufacturer is a gesture of solidarity and a powerful statement: we refuse to be complicit.”

In light of the recent ceasefire agreement, a member of the DFW Anti War Committee stated, “Whether they fall in Gaza, in Yemen, in Venezuela, or in our own backyards, we will not rest until this factory becomes a site of creation rather than destruction. Regardless of any platitudes or promises of temporary peace, the time for change is now, and the time for change is always!”

The energy was high leading into the evening, with a wide range of speakers from Code Pink, Jewish Voice for Peace, and other groups sympathetic to the liberation of Palestinians delivering obituaries of those martyred by the bombs manufactured in Garland. Their voices echoed across the field, with chants of “We demand an arms embargo.”

As the sun set, demonstrators made their way to the corner of Glenbrook Drive and Walnut Street to hold a vigil honoring the memory of those who have lost their lives at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces. Demonstrators were met with an overwhelmingly positive community response, with many locals expressing their support for bringing awareness to REPKON’s involvement with the Palestinian genocide.

One DAWC member, who grew up in Garland, shared their thoughts, “When learning about the bomb factory, I felt shocked and then I felt sick. When thinking about how the place I grew up plays a key role in tearing families apart and killing children, I feel a pit of dread in my stomach. Knowing every bomb that kills a mother, father, son and daughter in Palestine passes through Garland at some point, makes me feel sadness and grief. As community members in Garland, we have power to say this is not what our city is about and is not something we want here. We need to say it loud!”

Not everyone was in support, however. As the evening progressed, a local biker presenting a tattered American flag stood by the vigil. As speakers shared the stories of those martyred by REPKON’s bombs, the counter-demonstrator stationed himself in the median of Glenbrook Drive, displaying the flag for commuters to see. According to many attendees at the scene, he was holding it backwards.

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