UK to ban Palestine Action, labeling it as "terrorist group"
The UK government is expected to formally ban the pro-Palestine group Palestine Action next week, following a high-profile breach at RAF Brize Norton that triggered a nationwide security review of military installations.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is preparing to submit a written ministerial statement to Parliament on Monday that would designate the group a proscribed organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, according to a Whitehall source. If approved, the move would make membership in Palestine Action a criminal offense.
The decision comes days after two activists infiltrated the RAF base in Oxfordshire, managing to spray red paint on military aircraft, including a Voyager jet used by the prime minister and the king. The group shared video footage of the incident online, showing activists riding electric scooters across the airfield at night without being stopped.
Palestine Action said the targeted aircraft were used for refueling missions in support of US and 'Israeli' military operations. 'Activists have interrupted Britain's direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East,' a spokesperson said. The group claimed the aircraft were put 'out of service,' though RAF engineers later reported the damage was unlikely to affect ongoing operations.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident as 'disgraceful' and 'an act of vandalism,' while counter-terrorism police, the Ministry of Defence, and Thames Valley Police launched a joint investigation.
RAF Brize Norton serves as a key hub for the UK's global air transport and refueling missions, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, from which the UK has conducted surveillance flights over Gaza.
Palestine Action, co-founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, describes itself as a direct action network targeting arms manufacturers and financial institutions linked to 'Israel's' military operations. The group has previously claimed responsibility for disruptive actions at weapons factories and corporate offices, including a recent protest at a drone parts manufacturer in Shenstone.
On its website, the group states, 'Using disruptive tactics, Palestine Action targets corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex… through strategic, sustained, and focused direct action.'
The pending proscription has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and solidarity groups. In response to reports of the planned ban, Palestine Action wrote on X, 'We represent every person who stands for Palestinian liberation. If they want to ban us, they ban us all.'
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign also condemned the move, calling it 'outrageous' and insisting that Palestine Action is a 'non-violent direct action group.'
Under UK law, the home secretary can ban organizations that are found to promote or participate in terrorism, including glorification of terrorist acts. If enacted, Palestine Action would join a list of banned organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Wagner Group, which were proscribed in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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