Three arrested under terror laws over Palestine Action attack at UK airbase
Three arrests under terrorism laws have been made over a Palestine Action attack on a UK airbase that resulted in multimillion-pound damage to two aircraft.
A 29-year-old woman and two men, aged 36 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of a terrorist offence, police said. A fourth person was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last Friday in an incident claimed by activists Palestine Action. The group released footage of campaigners who had broken into the defence site using electric scooters to travel across the airfield, before using modified fire extinguishers to spray paint inside the two planes. A crowbar was also used.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the cost of the damage ran into 'millions of pounds' and has since unveiled plans to proscribe Palestine Action.
Armed forces minister Luke Pollard described the 'illegal entry and criminal vandalism' as 'disgraceful and epically stupid'.
A police statement said the three arrests were "on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000".
It also disclosed that a 41-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. The arrests took place on Thursday in Newbury, Berkshire, and in London.
'Those arrested are currently in police custody while enquiries are ongoing,' it said.
Palestine Action posted footage of the break-in on X after those involved managed to leave without being detected, and in an accompanying statement said: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets.
'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.'
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