
Four charged in terror probe over break-in at RAF Brize Norton after £7m of damage caused ‘by Palestine Action'
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FOUR people have been charged in a terror probe over the break-in at RAF Brize Norton after £7million of damage was inflicted.
The group Palestine Action have claimed the damage on two Voyager aircraft was carried out by them.
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Military aircraft were sprayed with paint during a break-in at RAF Brize Norton
Credit: Unpixs
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Footage posted online showed two people inside the Oxfordshire base at night, with one spraying paint into the engine of an Airbus
Credit: Unpixs
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The damage to one of the planes
Credit: Unpixs
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 35, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
They have all been remanded in custody.
It comes after the action, which was claimed by the group Palestine Action, caused £7million worth of damage to the aircraft on June 20.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said the four had been charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
CTPSE said a 41-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender had been released on bail until September 19.
A 23-year-old man was released without charge.
MPs on Wednesday backed the Government's move to ban the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
Legislation passed in the Commons as MPs voted 385 to 26, majority 359 in favour of proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The motion is expected to be debated and voted on by the House of Lords on Thursday before it becomes law.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
MPs like Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana will NOT be prosecuted for supporting terror group Palestine Action
MPs who voice support for the controversial protest group Palestine Action in the Commons will be shielded from prosecution under terror laws by parliamentary privilege. Despite officially being branded a terrorist organisation, MPs like Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana will be able to openly back the group from the safety of the chamber. And they will not face the same legal consequences that would apply to any ordinary Briton making similar comments in public or online, The Times reports. The parliamentary loophole means that MPs can champion or even encourage Palestine Action, despite the fact that anyone else doing so outside Parliament could face up to 14 years behind bars. It comes after a damning vote in the Commons saw MPs move to proscribe Palestine Action - placing it alongside terror groups including Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State. But 26 MPs voted against the move, including nine from Labour 's Left, such as Dianna Abbott, Clive Lewis and Richard Burgon - all of whom served under Jeremy Corbyn. The ban was backed overwhelmingly by 385 votes to 26, with the House of Lords also giving its seal of approval. A limp attempt by a Green peer to derail the decision failed miserably, rejected by 144 to 16. But despite the crackdown, Commons officials confirmed that MPs who speak in support of Palestine Action during official proceedings - including debates, questions, or committees - cannot be prosecuted thanks to parliamentary privilege. Parliamentary privilege is a centuries-old protection originally designed to safeguard democracy. The controversy comes just days after two military planes were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton, with the damage – claimed by Palestine Action – running to a staggering £7 million. Four suspects have since been charged by counter-terrorism police. Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, and Jony Cink, 24, both of no fixed abode, along with the north London duo of Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, of Barnet, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, of Cricklewood, appeared at Westminster magistrates' court. The Crown Prosecution Service said it submitted 'that these offences have a terrorist connection'. The defendants, who held hands and smiled as they entered the dock, spoke only to confirm their names. They also made peace signs, blew kisses and waved at supporters in the public gallery. Yet, under House Rules, any MP can still praise the group's actions without fear, as long as they do so within the parliamentary estate. Guidance for MPs states: 'This allows you to speak up on behalf of constituents, express an opinion, or condemn corruption, malpractice or even criminal activity without fear of legal action, as long as you do so in proceedings of the House. 'This protection extends to written proceedings: for example, written and oral questions, motions, early day motions, and amendments tabled to bills and motions. 'Anyone giving evidence to a committee of the House also has this protection, which is a safeguard for witnesses and also ensures that select committees are not obstructed in their inquiries by threats of legal action, or any other kind of threat against witnesses.' Lord Hanson, a minister at the Home Office, defended the move to remove Palestine Action's 'veil of legitimacy'. He said: 'I will always defend the right of British people to engage in legitimate and peaceful protest and to stand up for the causes in which they believe. 'But essential as these rights are, they do not provide a blank cheque for this particular group to seriously damage property or subject members of the public to fear and violence. 'We would not tolerate this activity from organisations if they were motivated by Islamist or extreme Right-wing ideology, and therefore I cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action. 'By implementing this measure, we will remove Palestine Action's veil of legitimacy, tackle its financial support, degrade its efforts to recruit and radicalise people into committing terrorist activity in its name.' But predictably, Jeremy Corbyn hit back, claiming the move would have a 'chilling effect' on protest. 'Surely we should be looking at the issue that Palestine Action are concerned about, and the supply of weapons from this country to Israel, which has made all this possible. If this order goes through it will have a chilling effect on protests,' he said. Critics argue that MPs should not be allowed to hide behind privilege when speaking in support of groups associated with criminal damage and intimidation. But unless rules are changed, those very same MPs can continue to air their views without consequence, while members of the public could be jailed for saying far less. It comes after p ro-Palestine MP Zarah Sultana announced she has quit Labour to join forces with Jeremy Corbyn in creating a new left-wing party. Former opposition leader Corbyn claimed yesterday there was a 'thirst' among voters 'for an alternative view to be put' forward - and did not rule out leading it at the age of 76. He has now been boosted by the arrival of Sultana, who has sat in the Commons as an independent MP since she had the Labour whip withdrawn last year. In response to the Sultana's shock move, Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: 'The people running Labour at the moment need to ask themselves why a young, articulate, talented, extremely dedicated socialist feels she now has no home in the Labour Party and has to leave.'


The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Gap in law could see young people ‘committing terrorist acts by weekend'
Young people 'are going to be committing terrorist acts, probably, by the weekend', Lord Walney has warned during a debate on the proscription of protest group Palestine Action. The former independent adviser on political violence and disruption described a 'gap in the law', because the Government cannot proscribe protest groups which are 'committing systematic criminality' without using terrorism powers. He backed the Home Office's plan to ban Palestine Action, adding it to the list of 81 organisations which are already proscribed including Hamas, al Qaida and National Action. Lord Walney told peers it was 'a nonsense' that groups which have advocated causing 'damage', such as Palestine Action, 'have been able to operate freely for as long as they have'. But opposing the move, Labour former Northern Ireland and Wales secretary Lord Hain warned: 'If you start labelling people willy-nilly terrorists right across the board, you're going down a very, very dangerous route.' Lord Walney said: 'There is a gap in the law, it seems to me at the moment, where we ought to be able to place a restriction on an organisation that is committing systematic criminality in the name of a cause without necessarily branding them as terrorists.' He suggested a future law change could mean authorities do not 'end up branding young people who are going to be committing terrorist acts, probably, by the weekend' as terrorists. The independent crossbench peer, who was previously a Labour MP, later said: 'I think we have to think more in the Labour movement about working people here, because they have been systematically targeted in defence factories. They have been deeply intimidated. 'At times, they have been violently injured, and it's totally unacceptable for the Labour movement to say, 'well that's ok, because it's in a cause'.' The Home Office's order, using the Terrorism Act 2000, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of Palestine Action or to support it. The group claimed responsibility for a break in at RAF Brize Norton last month, when activists damaged two RAF Voyager aircraft using paint. Crossbencher Lord Carlile of Berriew, a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, urged peers to 'act responsibly' by 'accepting this instrument'. He said: 'Every day the police prosecute people for theft. The maximum for theft – I'm not sure if it still is, but it was seven years at one time. Practically nobody gets seven years for theft. 'Most people get a non-custodial sentence. The assumption that everybody who's prosecuted is going to be locked up for years and years and years is a misleading premise for this debate.' Lord Hain was one of three Labour rebels who backed a motion to 'regret' the Home Office's plan, which Green peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb moved. He was joined in the 'content' lobby by Lord Hendy and former Trade Union Congress general secretary Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway. 'Frankly, I'm deeply ashamed,' Lord Hain told peers. 'This Government is treating Palestine Action as equivalent to Islamic State or al Qaida, which is intellectually bankrupt, politically unprincipled and morally wrong.' Lord Hain earlier said: 'In 1969-70, I was proud to lead a militant campaign of direct action to disrupt all-white, racist South African rugby and cricket tours, and we successfully succeeded in getting them stopped for two decades. 'No doubt, I would have been stigmatised as a terrorist today rather than vilified as I was then. 'That militant action could have been blocked by this motion, as could other anti-Apartheid activity, including militant protests to stop Barclays bank recruiting new students on university campuses, eventually forcing Barclays to withdraw from Apartheid South Africa.' Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said he had previously protested. ' Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly are cornerstones in our democracy,' he said. 'I have protested. I know of many other members who've protested against various things in our lives, and we have done so in a fair and open way.' He added: 'People engaged in lawful protests do not need weapons. 'People engaged in lawful protests do not throw smoke bombs and fire pyrotechnics to innocent members of the public, and people engaged in lawful protest do not cause millions of pounds of damage to national security infrastructure, including submarines and defence equipment for Nato.' Baroness Jones described a 'long and noble tradition of the use of direct action by protest movements'. She added that 'Palestine Action is not like any other group that the British Government has declared a terrorist organisation so far'. Her motion to regret was rejected by 144 votes to 16, majority 128. Peers who had stayed in the chamber afterwards called 'content' to back the order, which has also received MPs' backing in the Commons after a vote on Wednesday.


Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Parliamentary privilege allows pro-Palestine Action MPs to voice support
MPs who voice support for Palestine Action in the Commons will be shielded from prosecution under terror laws by parliamentary privilege. Parliamentary convention dictates that no MP can be prosecuted for anything they say in the Commons chamber, Westminster Hall or formal committee of the House even if they voice support for a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action. It also protects MPs from being sued for defamation or libel. It means any MP will be free to support or even encourage backing for Palestine Action, even though saying it outside the Commons would leave them liable for up to 14 years in prison. Nine Labour MPs were among the 26 members who voted against the Government's move to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, putting it on a par with Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The group of Labour MPs included Diane Abbott, the veteran Left-winger, Clive Lewis and Richard Burgon, who served in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet. Mr Corbyn, who sits as an independent, also voted against proscribing Palestine Action, along with fellow independent John McDonnell, his former shadow chancellor. The Commons voted by 385 to 26 in favour of proscribing Palestine Action. On Thursday, the Lords backed it without a vote. A so-called regret motion proposed by a Green Party peer criticising the measure was rejected by 144 votes to 16. It is unclear when the ban, which needs final sign-off by the Home Secretary, will come into force as the group is mounting a court challenge to temporarily block the move with a hearing scheduled on Friday, pending further proceedings. Two planes were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton on June 20 causing £7 million worth of damage, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Four people have been charged by counter-terrorism police over the incident and were remanded in custody following a court appearance. Commons officials confirmed that any MP speaking in support of the group would be exempt from prosecution under parliamentary privilege. Guidance for MPs states: 'This allows you to speak up on behalf of constituents, express an opinion, or condemn corruption, malpractice or even criminal activity without fear of legal action, as long as you do so in proceedings of the House. 'This protection extends to written proceedings: for example, written and oral questions, motions, early day motions, and amendments tabled to bills and motions. 'Anyone giving evidence to a committee of the House also has this protection, which is a safeguard for witnesses and also ensures that select committees are not obstructed in their inquiries by threats of legal action, or any other kind of threat against witnesses.' Lord Hanson of Flint, the Home Office minister, said: 'I will always defend the right of British people to engage in legitimate and peaceful protest and to stand up for the causes in which they believe. 'But essential as these rights are, they do not provide a blank cheque for this particular group to seriously damage property or subject members of the public to fear and violence. We would not tolerate this activity from organisations if they were motivated by Islamist or extreme Right-wing ideology, and therefore I cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action. 'By implementing this measure, we will remove Palestine Action's veil of legitimacy, tackle its financial support, degrade its efforts to recruit and radicalise people into committing terrorist activity in its name.' However, Mr Corbyn warned that the ban would have a 'chilling effect' on protests, adding: 'Surely we should be looking at the issue that Palestine Action are concerned about, and the supply of weapons from this country to Israel, which has made all this possible. If this order goes through it will have a chilling effect on protests.'