Three people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after a break-in at RAF Brize Norton by Palestine Action, Counter Terrorism Policing South East has said.
A 29-year-old woman and two men aged 36 and 24 have been arrested.
During the airbase invasion, two Voyager aircraft were damaged in an act of vandalism claimed by campaign group Palestine Action.
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 group is set to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Government after Keir Starmer described the stunt as a "disgraceful act of vandalism".
Palestine Action damaged two military aircraft recentlyPALESTINE ACTION
A spokesman for Palestine Action said of the terror arrests: "The fact this arrest has taken place before the proposed proscription has been voted on, 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.
"Proscribing Palestine Action is a political gesture to satisfy pro-Israel groups and arms companies who have been lobbying for us to be banned because we’re hitting their profits and having a real impact on Israel’s war machine.
"In response to widespread condemnation of the Government’s proposed proscription of Palestine Action from the leading human rights organisations, among others, the Home Secretary claimed it was an accumulation of actions which led to her assessment rather than a knee-jerk reaction by a humiliated Government.
"However, this arrest confirms they are treating red paint on military planes as an act of terrorism, despite the fact that the same action by protesters for decades has never been treated as terrorism.
"The only difference is that this time it was done for Palestine and this Government is in the pocket of the weapons companies arming Israel’s war crimes."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Voyager aircraft on the runway at RAF Brize NortonREUTERSHome Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation on Monday.
Adding the group to the list will put the organisation on par with Hamas, al-Qaeda and Isis.
In a post on social media following the raid, Palestine Action boasted they had "escaped undetected"
In the footage, activists can be seen spraying red paint and taking crowbars to the two military aircraft.
RAF sources said at the time that all aircraft involved in the incident would undergo full engineering checks.
They added that the damage to the RAF planes appeared superficial.
Defence Secretary John Healey said following the incident: "The vandalism of RAF planes is totally unacceptable.
"I am really disturbed that this happened and have ordered an investigation and a review of wider security at our bases."
Most Read
