Palestine Action to be banned after break-in at RAF base

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.

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.

Specialist counter terrorism officers are working closely with officers from Thames Valley Police and the Ministry of Defence Police.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances.

Anyone with information which could assist the investigation should call Counter Terrorism Policing South East via Thames Valley Police’s non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 43250305575.

A spokesman for Palestine Action said: “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.”