British counter-terrorism police arrest four individuals linked to a pro-Palestinian Arab protest at an English airbase where military planes were vandalized.
British counter-terrorism police have apprehended four individuals in connection with a pro-Palestinian Arab protest last week that resulted in the vandalism of military aircraft at an air base in England, Reuters reported.
The arrests, announced Friday, include a 29-year-old woman and two men aged 36 and 24, all suspected of involvement in the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism. A 41-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The incident, which occurred on June 20, saw two activists from the group Palestine Action reportedly breach security at the Oxfordshire air base. They are alleged to have sprayed red paint over two planes used for refueling and transport, and further damaged them with crowbars. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as “disgraceful.”
In the wake of the attack, Interior Minister Yvette Cooper revealed plans to utilize anti-terrorism laws to ban Palestine Action.
Cooper stated that the group’s actions had become “more aggressive and caused millions of pounds of damage.” Palestine Action has a history of targeting British sites with connections to Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems and other companies in Britain linked to Israel, particularly since the onset of the conflict in Gaza.
Responding to the recent arrests, Palestine Action issued a statement, accusing authorities of “cracking down on non-violent protests which disrupt the flow of arms to Israel during its genocide in Palestine.”
The maximum sentence for preparation of terrorist acts, or assisting in such preparation, in Britain is a life sentence.
