Labour MP calls for RAF break in group to be banned under terror law
Backbencher David Taylor, who previously unsuccessfully campaigned for Kneecap to be banned from Glastonbury, made the call after a break-in at RAF Brize Norton.
Palestine Action members sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager on Thursday evening and said they used crowbars to further damage the planes.
It is believed that one of the aircraft targeted is the UK's official VIP jet, used to ferry prime ministers and royals to official visits.
Taylor insisted he supported the 'right to peaceful protest' but added: 'Palestine Action has long since crossed the line into criminality. Their latest alleged activity, breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging military aircraft, is not protest, it's sabotage. You cannot attack UK military assets.
READ MORE: UK's 'Union flag plane damaged' in pro-Palestine RAF break-in
'This group have engaged in illegal activity: smashing into defence sites, vandalising property, and disrupting key infrastructure. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a coordinated campaign of unlawful direct action.'
Palestine Action have vandalised the premises of numerous businesses linked with the Israeli military.
Last month, a case against activists for blocking access to Elbit's Instro Precision weapons factory in Kent was thrown out at Margate Magistrates Court.
Elbit is a key target of the group because the firm is a key supplier of the Israeli military.
Taylor (above) added: 'It is time for the government to take a firmer stance. I believe Palestine Action should now be considered for proscription under the Terrorism Act. We cannot allow groups who glorify and incite violence to operate unchecked under the guise of activism.'
Groups proscribed under the Terrorism Act include Hamas and Hezbollah.
Declaring support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act.
READ MORE: UK Government urged to publish legal advice on joining war on Iran
Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh – known by the stage name Mo Chara – appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court earlier this week charged with an offence under the act after allegedly flying a Hezbollah flag at a concert.
He was released on unconditional bail with his lawyers arguing that the alleged offence took place outside the six-month window required to fall under the court's jurisdiction.
Palestine Action was approached for comment.
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Sky News
35 minutes ago
- Sky News
Two more people arrested over damage to aircraft at RAF base
Two more people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two aircraft were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the men, aged 22 and 24 and both from London, were arrested on Saturday afternoon on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. On Thursday, police said a woman, aged 29 of no fixed address, and two men, aged 36 and 24 from London, had been taken into police custody after the incident at RAF Brize Norton on 20 June. A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed address, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, they previously said. The group posted a video online claiming it was behind the vandalism at the Oxfordshire airbase last Friday, saying activists had damaged two military planes at the base. Palestine Action - which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and has previously targeted corporate banks - said two activists "broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes". 5:01 Repurposed fire extinguishers were used to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers, while further damage was made using crowbars. "Red paint, symbolising Palestinian bloodshed was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left on the scene," a statement by the group said. Brize Norton is the largest RAF station, with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. A security review was launched across the "whole defence estate" following the breach, which was condemned as "absolutely staggering" by Ben Obese-Jecty, a Tory MP and former Army officer. Sir Keir Starmer condemned the "act of vandalism" as "disgraceful", adding: "Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that Palestine Action will be proscribed as a terrorist organisation following the breach at RAF Brize Norton. She said a draft proscription order will be laid in parliament next week, and if passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action.
Sky News
44 minutes ago
- Sky News
Two more people arrested over damage to aircrafts at RAF base
Why you can trust Sky News Two more people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two aircrafts were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the men, aged 22 and 24 and both from London, were arrested on Saturday afternoon on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. On Thursday, police said a woman, aged 29 of no fixed address, and two men, aged 36 and 24 from London, had been taken into police custody after the incident at RAF Brize Norton on 20 June. A 41-year-old woman, of no fixed address, was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, they previously said. The group posted a video online claiming it was behind the vandalism at the Oxfordshire airbase last Friday, saying activists had damaged two military planes at the base. Palestine Action - which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and has previously targeted corporate banks - said two activists "broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes". 5:01 Repurposed fire extinguishers were used to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers, while further damage was made using crowbars. "Red paint, symbolising Palestinian bloodshed was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left on the scene," a statement by the group said. Brize Norton is the largest RAF station, with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. A security review was launched across the "whole defence estate" following the breach, which was condemned as "absolutely staggering" by Ben Obese-Jecty, a Tory MP and former Army officer. Sir Keir Starmer condemned the "act of vandalism" as "disgraceful", adding: "Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday that Palestine Action will be proscribed as a terrorist organisation following the breach at RAF Brize Norton. She said a draft proscription order will be laid in parliament next week, and if passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Police look into ‘death to the IDF' chants at Glastonbury
There are many things to consider when preparing for Glastonbury: sort out your travel arrangements, wear in the new walking boots, make sure to pack the tent poles and take plenty of suncream. For some, however, the most important thing not to forget is their flag. They are a practical solution to finding friends when you have lost each other among the 200,000-strong crowd, 100 stages and 23 campsites on the 1,000 acres of Worthy Farm. They can also be used to make a statement about Palestine. • Glastonbury 2025: follow live Vivienne Booth, 48, a nursery teacher, was flying a Palestine flag she had been given in the Green Futures field, an educational hub at the festival, as she prepared to watch the rappers Kneecap. She said: 'We're trying to get the BBC to show as many [of them] as possible. Starmer needs to be a Labour Party politician rather than a Conservative leader and then maybe we'd be getting somewhere.' Last week, the prime minister declared that it would not be appropriate for Kneecap to perform at the festival after its band member, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with a terrorist offence after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig. Bob Vylan, the English punk duo on before the Irish outfit, led the crowd in chants of 'death to the IDF'. It prompted Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, to contact Tim Davie, the BBC's director-general, and demand 'an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance', a government spokesperson said. 'We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury,' they added. During Kneecap's own set, which was not broadcast by the BBC, the trio led the crowd in several chants of 'f*** Keir Starmer' and 'free Palestine'. Police confirmed they were looking into 'comments made by acts on the West Holts stage'. The Avon and Somerset force said: 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.' Sharren Haskel, Israel's deputy foreign minister, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I condemn the BBC for continuing to live-stream anti-Israel hate speech from Glastonbury. 'What do you think the BBC would have done had a performer been shouting anti-Muslim or far-right hate speech? They would have pulled the feed. But because the target is Israel — let's be honest, because it's Jews — it's tolerated, even broadcast.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. During this live-stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. 'We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Some in the festival's crowd had seized the opportunity to turn conflict into cash, selling Palestinian flags for £10. In 2010, after some complaints about flags obstructing the stage, festival organisers consulted fans over whether there should be a ban on them altogether. 'Our gut feeling here at festival HQ is that they shouldn't be banned as we think they add to the magic,' a festival spokeswoman said at the time. A total of 55 per cent out of 13,178 voters from 71 countries eventually voted to keep the flags. Many prefer the personal to the political. The choice of what to put on her flag was obvious for Joanna Stefanova, 28, a civil servant who lives in London, who was yesterday carrying a six-metre-tall aluminium flag to keep her group of six friends together. 'I got the picture printed of my two beautiful pussy cats, Justin and Jasper, because I miss them while I'm here,' she said. Among the bucket hats and beer cans, there were thousands of flags flapping in the wind, which sport everything from supermarket logos to pictures of the actress Gillian Anderson. The flag poles can be bought from Amazon for £27 and weigh about 700g. Some people attach the poles to their backpacks, but most opt to carry them in their hands so they can extend and lower them with ease. Toby Smith, 23, from Cambridge, resembled an ambassador for a budget supermarket. 'I promise I'm not affiliated with Lidl,' he laughed. 'I started collecting the Lidl merch in 2021 when they first released it … I've been messaging them on Instagram trying to get them to give me a flag. Although they responded initially, they went quiet, but they've released bandanas and so my mum sewed them together to make the flag.' Martha Kent, 27, carried a pink flag featuring 'her favourite lesbian icons', including Anderson, who is regarded as an LGBTQ+ advocate for her comments in support of the community, and the footballer Leah Williamson. Others were more obscure. Bernie Carey, 36, held a flag for her nine friends reading 'Dove, veto, more', which she explained was a rough translation into Italian for: 'Where are you, love?'
