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4 Palestine Action members charged over RAF break-in

4 Palestine Action members charged over RAF break-in

The National11 hours ago
Members of Palestine Action have been charged by counter-terrorism police for causing £7 million worth of damage to military planes at RAF Brize Norton.
It comes after MPs voted 385 to 26 last night to proscribe the group as a terrorist organisation, despite widespread criticism of the move.
READ MORE: MPs vote in favour of proscribing Palestine Action
The four suspects, aged 22-29, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later on Thursday.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East said they had been charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage, and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK.
A 41-year-old woman previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on bail until 19 September, while another man was released without charge.
In a statement released by the BBC, police said the Crown Prosecution service will argue in court that the alleged offences had a "terrorist connection".
In the vote last night, the SNP and LibDems chose to abstain, whilst 275 Labour MPs and 87 Tory MPs voted in favour of the move.
READ MORE: The 26 MPs who voted against proscribing Palestine Action
Four Green MPs voted against the proscription, alongside six Independents and nine Labour MPs.
The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025 is now expected to be debated and voted on by the House of Lords on Thursday before it becomes law.
If it passes, membership and/or support of the group could carry a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
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The House of Lords backed proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 without a vote. A short time before, a so-called regret motion proposed by a Green Party peer criticising the measure was rejected by 144 votes to 16, majority 128. The ministerial order, which has already been approved by MPs, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of the direct action group or to support it. However, 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 try to temporarily block the move with a hearing scheduled on Friday, pending further proceedings. The Government crackdown comes after 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 in connection with the incident and were remanded in custody following a court appearance. Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint 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.' He added: '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 ministers have faced criticism over the decision to outlaw Palestine Action, with opponents branding the move as 'draconian overreach' and comparing the group to the Suffragettes. The United Nations has also warned against the ban, with experts concerned at the 'unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as 'terrorist''. In the Lords, Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb opposed the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Her regret motion argued the ban undermined civil liberties, constituted a misuse of anti-terror legislation, suppressed dissent against the UK's policy on Israel, and criminalised support for a protest group, causing 'a chilling effect on freedom of expression'. The legislation approved by the Lords also bans two white supremacist groups, Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement, including its paramilitary arm Russian Imperial Legion. The Home Office describes the Maniacs Murder Cult as a neo-Nazi transnational and online organisation which has claimed a number of violent attacks around the world. The Russian Imperial Movement is an ethno-nationalist group which aims to create a new Russian imperial state. Its paramilitary unit fought alongside Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine to advance its ideological cause. It also runs a paramilitary training programme to support attendees to carry out terror attacks, the Home Office added.

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