On Thursday, UK counterterrorism police arrested four individuals in connection with a break-in at RAF Brize Norton, the largest RAF base in the UK. The group, members of the pro-Palestinian campaign Palestine Action, broke into the base and sprayed red paint into the engines of several Voyager aircraft. This act of protest was in response to the UK's support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Terrorism-Related Charges and Suspects

The police arrested three individuals on suspicion of involvement in acts of terrorism. The suspects include a 29-year-old woman and two men, aged 36 and 24. Another woman, aged 41, was arrested on charges of assisting the offenders. The arrests took place in Newbury, Berkshire, and London, and all suspects remain in custody.

Proscription of Palestine Action

In response to the incident, UK ministers have moved forward with a plan to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000. A draft order to ban the group is expected to be laid before Parliament on June 30, 2025. This move will make it a criminal offense to be a member of or support the group, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.

Group's Response to Arrests

Palestine Action has condemned the arrests, stating that the move is an effort to suppress non-violent protests against the UK government’s support for Israel. The group argues that the proscription is not aimed at enabling terrorism prosecutions but is instead a crackdown on protest actions that disrupt the flow of arms to Israel.