Frequently Asked Questions
What Break the Chain is, how the sourced company data works, and how to plug in to the NYC arms-embargo campaign.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most. Every answer links to the sourced detail behind it.
- What is Break the Chain?
- What is a people’s arms embargo?
- How can I find out if my employer is in the military supply chain?
- Where does the data come from, and is it accurate?
- Which companies and sites does the campaign cover?
- Can I cite or reuse this data?
- How is the data kept up to date?
- Is Break the Chain part of DSA?
- Does the campaign target individual workers at these companies?
- How can my union or organization get involved or endorse?
- How does military cargo actually move through New York and New Jersey?
- How can I support or contact the campaign?
What is Break the Chain?
Break the Chain is a people’s arms embargo campaign organized by the NYC DSA Anti-War Working Group. We map and organize against the companies that move weapons and military components through the New York and New Jersey region, and we call for an end to those shipments. Read more about the campaign or see how to get involved.
What is a people’s arms embargo?
An arms embargo is a halt on the transfer of weapons and military equipment. A “people’s” arms embargo is the same demand built from below, by workers, unions, and communities, to stop those shipments at the airports, ports, and warehouses they pass through, rather than waiting for governments to act. You can sign the petition or read the resolutions unions have already passed.
How can I find out if my employer is in the military supply chain?
Search our company database. We publish sourced profiles of companies with a documented role moving military cargo through the New York metro area: manufacturers, freight forwarders, and carriers. Search the companies by name, role, or location to see whether a specific employer appears and the sources behind each entry.
Where does the data come from, and is it accurate?
Every published profile is tied to an already-published source: investigative reporting, a federal contract record, or a corporate disclosure. The data comes from a manual audit: 204 raw rows reviewed, narrowed to 191 distinct companies, with 39 published once a verifiable source was confirmed. A company appears because the cited sources establish a contract or logistics role in the chain, which is not a legal conclusion about the company. See the full methodology on the tracker.
Which companies and sites does the campaign cover?
The database focuses on the New York and New Jersey gateway: JFK Airport’s freight terminals, the Port Newark/Elizabeth complex, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Browse all company profiles, explore the interactive map, or read the JFK Airport campaign page.
Can I cite or reuse this data?
Yes. The factual dataset is dedicated to the public domain under CC0, so journalists, researchers, and other chapters can cite and reuse it freely. We ask, as a norm rather than a legal condition, that you credit Break the Chain and link back so readers reach the current, sourced version. The tracker page has a copy-paste citation and the CSV / JSON download.
How is the data kept up to date?
The audit is ongoing; we add and revise profiles as new sourcing surfaces. The tracker page shows the dataset’s last-updated date, pulled live from the audit so it never drifts from the data.
Is Break the Chain part of DSA?
Yes. Break the Chain is a campaign of the NYC DSA Anti-War Working Group. Read more about who we are.
Does the campaign target individual workers at these companies?
No. The campaign targets corporate contracts and the supply chain, and demands an arms embargo, not individual workers. The people who move this cargo are exactly who an embargo organized from below depends on. See how workers can plug in.
How can my union or organization get involved or endorse?
Unions and organizations can endorse the campaign and pass an arms-embargo resolution. Endorse Break the Chain, read resolutions other unions have passed, or find organizing resources and templates.
How does military cargo actually move through New York and New Jersey?
Weapons and military components move as air freight through JFK’s cargo terminals and as containers through the Port Newark/Elizabeth complex, handled by manufacturers, freight forwarders, and carriers along the way. Explore the map or read the JFK Airport campaign page to follow how a shipment moves through the chain.
How can I support or contact the campaign?
The fastest way in is to get involved or sign the petition. You can also reach the campaign at breakthechainjfk@proton.me or on Instagram at @breakthechain4pal.