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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Alastair Lockhart

Four arrested by counter-terror police over RAF Brize Norton break-in claimed by Palestine Action

Aircraft at RAF Brize Norton -

A 29-year-old woman and two men aged 36 and 24 have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in an action claimed by campaign group Palestine Action, Counter Terrorism Policing South East said.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East said in a statement: "A 29-year-old woman of no fixed abode, and two men; aged 36 and 24, both from London, were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

"A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

"The arrests, which took place yesterday [Thursday] in Newbury, Berkshire, and in London, are in connection with an incident in the early hours of [last] Friday during which damage was caused to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.

"Those arrested are currently in police custody while enquiries are ongoing."

The soon-to-be-banned Palestine Action previously posted footage online showing people inside the Oxfordshire base, with one person appearing to ride an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, before spray painting into its jet engine.

The Home Secretary made the decision to proscribe Palestine Action following the incident, with the arrests coming just days before the proscription is set to come into force.

Support for the group will become a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison when the ban comes into effect as soon as next Friday.

Palestine Action has staged demonstration that have included spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire.

As she announced plans for Palestine Action's proscription, Yvette Cooper said the group's methods have become "more aggressive", with its members showing "willingness to use violence".

At the time of the incident, the group said it had "directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people" by "decommissioning two military planes".

Palestine Action said Thursday's arrests "further demonstrates that proscription is not about enabling prosecutions under terrorism laws - it's about cracking down on non-violent protests which disrupt the flow of arms to Israel during its genocide in Palestine".

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