Palestine Action to be banned after RAF base break in
The Home Secretary is preparing to ban Palestine Action after the group vandalised two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. Yvette Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain's largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught. Shocking footage shared by the group this morning shows protesters storming across the RAF runway in Oxfordshire on electric scooters . The bodycam footage then shows them spraying red paint into the turbine engines of the air-to-air refuelling tankers which the RAF say are 'vital for enhancing the operational reach and flexibility of Britain's military air power'.
Palestine Action claims to have used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray the paint, while they say they caused further damage with crowbars. The activists said they sprayed red paint across the runway and left a Palestine flag behind before fleeing the base undetected. The incident is also being investigated by counter terror police. The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'.
Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. It comes just days after Palestine Action activists brazenly filmed themselves breaking in and vandalising the warehouse of a firm that supplies military items to Israel. Brize Norton is the largest RAF base in the country with approximately 5,800 service members, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.
Voyagers, described as a 'petrol station in the sky', can carry up to 109 tonnes of fuel and are used to refuel fighter and compatible heavy aircraft. RAF Brize Norton hold a core fleet of nine voyagers, while five others are available for commercial use but can be recalled for military purposes. The RAF is reportedly planning to send Voyager aircraft to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. One of the Voyagers, which has a Union Jack on its tail, has previously been used as a VIP aircraft to transport prime ministers and Royal Family members to engagements abroad.
But MailOnline understands this was not one of the Voyagers targeted. Palestine Action claimed they damaged the planes at Brize Norton as it is the base 'where flights leave daily for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus' - the base used for military operations in the Middle East. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed last week that fighter jets were being scrambled to RAF Akrotiri amid threats from Iran and its conflict with Israel escalating.
Iran and Israel have been firing missiles at each other for more than a week now after Tel Aviv launched an unprecedented attack on Tehran, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites and killing senior military figures. Sir Keir said in a post on X: 'The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful. 'Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. 'It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.'
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'The security breach at Brize Norton is deeply concerning. 'This is not lawful protest, it is politically-motivated criminality. 'We must stop tolerating terrorist or extremist groups that seek to undermine our society. The full force of the law must come down on those responsible.' A spokesman for Palestine Action said the activists evaded security and claimed they had put the air-to-air refuelling tankers "out of service".
In a statement, the spokesperson added: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. 'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. 'By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.' Campaign Against Antisemitism recently wrote to the Home Secretary, calling for the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Gideon Falter, chief executive of the group, said: 'We are pleased that the Home Secretary has listened to our representations over the last week. 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' On Saturday, Palestine Action also targeted Permoid Industries Ltd, in Newton Aycliffe, Durham, which is a warehouse that supplies military items to Israel. According to the group, the incident occurred 'under cover of darkness' and involved the activists destroying equipment, spraying red paint over the floors and walls and smashing glass windows. One activist with a spray can was filmed daubing 'Free Gaza' on the walls, while another walked into another part of the warehouse carrying a fire extinguisher filled with paint.
Permoid Industries describes itself as an engineering firm that has supplied the Ministry of Defence for more than 80 years, as well as the automotive sector. Products manufactured by the firm include ammunition containers suitable for belted heavy machine-gun ammunition, and cartridge, mortar, and shell munitions. A No 10 spokesman said: 'A full security review is under way at Brize Norton. 'We are reviewing security across the whole defence estate. 'We treat all breaches of security very seriously, and where there is suspected criminal activity, we will take the necessary steps to investigate and prosecute in line with longstanding principle.' He said the incident had not cost any planned aircraft movements or stopped any operations.
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