Palestine Action to be banned after break-in at RAF base
The Home Secretary is preparing to ban Palestine Action following the group’s vandalism of two planes at an RAF base, the PA news agency understands.
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.
The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine.
The incident is being also investigated by counter terror police.
‘Legal obligations’
A spokesperson for Palestine Action accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide.
The spokesperson said: “When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.”
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.
Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company Wagner Group.
Another 14 organisations connected with Northern Ireland are also banned under previous legislation, including the IRA and UDA.
Criminal offences
Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Friday’s incident at Brize Norton, described by the Prime Minister as “disgraceful”, prompted calls for Palestine Action to be banned.
The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe the group, saying: “Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.”
CAA chief executive Gideon Falter urged the Home Secretary to proscribe the Houthi rebel group and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding: “This country needs to clamp down on the domestic and foreign terrorists running amok on our soil.”
Former home secretary Suella Braverman said it was “absolutely the correct decision”.
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wow! never seen Labour move so quick, shame they didn’t act as quickly to denounce the actual genocide in Gaza or the ilegal attacks on Iran. solidarity with Palestine Action
Has the question of how they
Managed to get into an RAF establishment and touch an aircraft been raised? As our government appear only too willing to be led by the US into various un-winnable conflicts I would have thought that increasing security would have been a good place to start our increase in defence spending.
There is not much change to my voting intentions for the future here. I don’t vote Labour anyway so it won’t be any loss to them but I would have done if they once again became a party for the people. This is not possible anymore. Any former and current members who think they may yet wrestle the party back should forget it and start anew. The name ‘Labour’ is now indelibly stained forever. To the best of my knowledge, Palestine Action have never taken a single human life (correct me if I’m wrong) and yet are to be a… Read more »
Who is the group Palestine Action ? How many people ever heard of them. The real criminals are those that are creating the actual genocide in Gaza. The regime that controls Israel has overreacted to hamas actions and is causing suffering and death to the civilian Palestine people, including women and children. It is a war crime and Netanyahu and his regime convicted at the ICC. Also, the actions of Netanyahu have put the Jewish peoples of the world in great danger. Many of whom wish to distance themselves from Netanyahu’s actions. The UK government have also failed the condemn… Read more »
Where was the security?
Simple exercise. Failed.