In a sweeping crackdown, London’s Metropolitan Police have charged 67 people linked to the extremist group Palestine Action, banned as a terror organization after a £7 million attack on RAF aircraft.
The UK’s fight against extremist activism escalated Tuesday as London’s Metropolitan Police announced charges against 67 individuals tied to the pro-terror network Palestine Action.
The group, notorious for vandalism and violent disruption, was outlawed in July under the Terrorism Act 2000, following a brazen raid on a Royal Air Force base where activists defaced two military aircraft with red paint—causing £7 million in damages.
Since its proscription, authorities have arrested more than 700 people, mostly during volatile protests in London. Of the latest charges, 64 relate to demonstrations in central London last month, with three others connected to earlier incidents in August.
The accused are set to appear in court throughout October. If convicted, they face up to six months in prison.
Palestine Action’s record of destruction includes:
- Defacing a portrait of Lord Arthur Balfour at Trinity College, Cambridge, slashing it and covering it in red paint.
- Stealing two busts of Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmann, from Manchester University.
UK officials say the crackdown reflects a zero-tolerance stance on extremist disruption masquerading as protest, warning that any group aiding terror-linked activity will be met with the full force of the law.
