UK police have arrested four individuals in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest at the Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, where military planes were vandalized. The incident occurred on June 20, when two activists from Palestine Action broke into the base, damaging and spraying red paint over two planes used for refueling and transport.
The arrests were made on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism, as well as assisting an offender. Palestine Action condemned the arrests, accusing the government of being “in the pocket of the weapons companies arming Israel’s war crimes” and cracking down on non-violent protests disrupting the flow of arms to Israel.
The group posted footage online showing people inside the base, with one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refueling tanker before spraying paint into its jet engine.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as “disgraceful”. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made the decision to proscribe Palestine Action following the incident, with the arrests coming just one week before the ban is set to come into force. If parliament approves the proscription, support for the group would become a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Cooper stated that Palestine Action’s methods have become “more aggressive,” with members showing a willingness to use violence, and that such incidents do not represent legitimate or peaceful protest. In response, Palestine Action said, “Proscribing Palestine Action is a political gesture to satisfy pro-Israel groups and arms companies who have been lobbying for us to be banned because we’re hitting their profits and having a real impact on Israel’s war machine.” The group also called the move an attack on free speech and an “unhinged reaction”.
Palestine Action is a UK-based protest group founded in 2020 that uses direct action tactics to disrupt the arms industry, targeting companies like Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private arms company. The group has staged various demonstrations, including spraying red paint on the London offices of Allianz Insurance and vandalizing US President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
The UK government’s decision to ban Palestine Action has sparked controversy, with some arguing it undermines civil liberties and freedom of speech. Amnesty International UK and Liberty have expressed concerns over the government’s use of terrorism powers against protest groups, setting a concerning precedent.