Pro-Palestinian Activists Arrested Under Terrorism Law in U.K. Air Base Break-In
The police in Britain have used a counterterrorism law to arrest three people over a pro-Palestinian group's recent incursion at a British military base in a rare use of such powers against acts of vandalism.
This week, the British government announced an intention to ban the group, called Palestine Action.
The arrests were made on Thursday under a 2000 law that allows enhanced detention for those 'suspected to be a terrorist,' the police said. The powers are commonly used against people suspected of planning jihadist or far-right attacks to give investigators more time to question them.
A police statement released on Friday did not identify the suspects but described them as a 29-year-old woman and two men aged 36 and 24. The police said that they had also arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The four arrested are being held during the investigation into the break-in by Palestine Action at Brize Norton, Britain's largest Royal Air Force base, in the early hours of June 20. The group posted footage online showing two activists moving around the base on electric scooters before using red paint to damage two military planes.
Palestine Action has previously targeted facilities linked to military companies, including Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. The group also vandalized President Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland in March.
Mr. Trump referred to its members as 'terrorists' and called for them to be 'treated harshly' after activists defaced the resort's clubhouse with red paint and daubed 'Gaza is not 4 sale' on part of the golf course.
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