Latest news with #militarytargets
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Palestine Action say their jailed members are spreading 'intifada' in Britain's prisons after plot to target more RAF bases was revealed
Jailed members of Palestine Action have been successfully spreading the 'intifada' from behind bars, the controversial group has brazenly declared. The bold revelation from the group - which is set to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation - comes as Palestine Action revealed it is preparing to launch a wave of attacks against military sites across Britain. Last Friday, the group released footage of members infiltrating RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and vandalising two aircraft - leading to four arrests by terror police yesterday. A woman, 29, and two men, aged 36 and 24 from London, were arrested on suspicion of a terror offence, while another woman, 41, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. In the aftermath of the incident, the unrepentant group held a series of secret recruitment calls, attended by around 50 new 'comrades', in which it identified RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley in Anglesey, as their next top targets. The extremist group, which has already triggered a major security review of UK military bases, is understood to be targeting sites it claims are linked to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. In a disturbing presentation during the meeting, slides detailed how members should 'hit everything you can find with a sledgehammer' and form autonomous cells capable of operating undetected. Activists were also instructed to download the encrypted messaging app Signal to receive secret instructions. Now in the latest development, a former prisoner and Palestine Action activist was quoted as saying the British state had made a 'miscalculation' in locking him up - and he spent his time behind bars persuading others to join the 'intifada' - an Arabic word meaning 'uprising' - The Telegraph reported. Speaking at a direct action 'workshop', a group member quoted the anonymous prisoner as saying: 'They thought that by imprisoning me, they would halt the British resistance to Israel's genocide. 'But while you can imprison a revolutionary, you cannot imprison a revolution. 'The resistance lives on the streets, in our cities and our towns, and in our prisons too.' At present, there are 19 Palestine Action activists imprisoned in the UK. The majority of these are the 'Filton 18', who remain in custody while awaiting trial over the infiltration of Elbit System's research, development, and manufacturing hub in Filton, Bristol, last August. Facing arrest and prison however is however to be expected, new recruits are being told, and that they must be willing to make 'sacrifices'. At one such secret recruitment meeting, the organiser, appearing in front of a flag linked to the YPJ – a Kurdish female militia involved in the Syrian civil war – told potential recruits: 'The conviction and courage it takes to take this action in the first place is accepting that level of sacrifice.' She added: 'As much as we can stand by our morals and our ethics, we have to know for a fact we have to be well informed that there are risks that we are taking – that is both legal consequences... but also psychologically and financially.' Those present at the online gathering were told they would be divided into individual cells to carry out attacks independently – a tactic designed to avoid leaders being arrested, similar to the structure of groups like Extinction Rebellion. Among the participants were university lecturers, a clergyman, and others described as ranging 'from nursery teachers to surgeons', aged from 18 to 80. The movement is led by Huda Ammori, 31, a British-born activist from Bolton. The daughter of a Palestinian surgeon and an Iraqi mother, she co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 alongside Richard Barnard, a former Extinction Rebellion member. Writing in April, Ammori explained the group's structure was deliberately designed to outwit the authorities. 'By being security-conscious and working in small groups, we can make it difficult for the authorities to respond to individual actions,' she said. She claims the group has flourished despite arrests, and insists they are prepared for further government crackdowns. At the end of the call, recruits were asked to accept an 'actions agreement', which stated: 'Each individual takes part in the movement from their own free will. We encourage all to join but we do not pressure people into doing things that make them uncomfortable.' The boastful revelation that Palestine Action is spreading 'intifada' in Britain comes just months after Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick warned 'ruthless Islamist extremists are in control' inside Britain's high security jails. He spoke out after Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, 28, left three prison officers 'millimetres' from death after attacking them with makeshift weapons and hot cooking oil at HMP Frankland in County Durham in April. Two officers were also left with life-threatening injuries. Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Jenrick said the appalling attack must be a 'turning point'. He also warned that in Britain's high-security jails 'all too often, the ruthless Islamist extremists are in control, with prison officers left fearing for their lives'. Prisons are 'no longer places of punishment, but of appeasement', he said, accusing officials of prioritising the 'welfare of wicked individuals' ahead of prison staff. A Ministry of Defence spokesman previously told MailOnline: 'The UK's defence estate is vital to our national security and this government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk. 'This Government is taking the strong step of proscribing Palestine Action due to its activities, which are a threat to our national security.'
Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Revealed: Palestine Action's map of UK targets
Palestine Action has drawn up a new list of about 150 government buildings, military bases, financial institutions and insurance firms to target in attacks. The organisation, which is due to be proscribed as a terrorist group, has urged its followers to damage the sites by smashing windows and equipment, spraying blood-red paint and pouring concrete into water pipes. The 148 UK targets are included on a map the group uploaded to its website. Alongside each target is a reason for its inclusion. For example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development HQ in Westminster is there due to 'awarding unmanned aerial vehicle contracts'. The Ministry of Defence's Whitehall premises has also been designated a target due to the same reasoning. The map highlights pilot training schools at RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valle in Anglesey, north Wales. Allianz, one of the world's largest insurance firms, has 11 UK locations on the list and has been featured due to the company 'investing in, and providing insurance for, Israel's biggest weapons producer'. BNY Mellon, one of the largest custodian banks, has six locations listed because it 'invests in excess of $12 million in Elbit Systems'. It is not clear how the list has been drawn up but many of the targets are supposedly connected to Elbit, the military technology company. Shannon airport, in County Clare, Republic of Ireland, is also featured, but no reason is given for its inclusion. The site includes a link to Palestine Action's 'underground manual', which states: 'It's time to pick your target. Head to our website to find a list of secondary and primary targets who enable and profit from the Israeli weapons industry in Britain. Making your job to pick one a slightly easier process 'Each is just as culpable as the other, and applying pressure to them is key to breaking the links which sustain Israel's arms trade. It might be simpler to pick a target based on your locality, making it easier to plan, conduct the recces and save some transport costs!' The guide includes various ways to attack sites, such as smashing windows and equipment with sledgehammers. Elbit has faced most of Palestine Action's wrath, its sites repeatedly targeted at a cost of millions of pounds to the company. Last year Palestine Action carried out almost daily protests at Elbit sites. One such incident in Bristol involved smashing through a factory fence with a prison van and damaging the building with sledgehammers. Two police officers and a security guard were injured. In March analysis by The Sunday Times found that since its foundation in July 2020, Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for 356 direct actions on British-based defence and engineering firms, banks, insurance companies, estate agents and property companies, accountancy firms, universities and local government buildings the group claimed have links to Israeli defence firms. The Times can also reveal the organisation's close links to the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), believed by British officials to have direct ties to Iran. Since the announcement about Palestine Action's proscription, the IHRC has repeatedly posted on social media its support. IHRC was criticised by William Shawcross's independent review of Prevent as an 'Islamist group ideologically aligned with the Iranian regime' that has a history of 'extremist links and terrorist sympathies'. Shawcross said senior figures had espoused support for violent jihad and 'advocated for the extraction and eradication of 'Zionists''. Furthermore, Palestine Action has ties to Cage, the Islamist group that once praised Jihadi John as a 'beautiful young man'. The two groups released a joint statement condemning the government's counterextremism definition in March 2024. During the trial of the 'Elbit Eight' in 2023, Palestine Action and Cage ran a joint campaign to encourage demonstrations outside the trial and for supporters to attend court hearings. Palestine Action has used IHRC annual Quds Day marches as a recruiting tool for the group and the group's co-founder Huda Ammori has spoken at IHRC rallies. When The Times approached the IHRC about whether it funded Palestine Action, it said: 'While we support the aims and objectives of Palestine Action — namely, opposition to the crimes of Israel — we have not provided them with any financial or material support.' Regarding Shawcross's description, it said: 'Shawcross's assertion that IHRC is 'ideologically aligned' with Iran is not evidence. It is opinion, and a deeply prejudiced one at that.' Palestine Action was approached for comment.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Revealed: 'Terror' group Palestine Action is 'plotting attacks on three more air bases' after causing millions in damage during RAF Brize Norton raid
Palestine Action is preparing to launch fresh attacks on military sites across Britain just days before it is expected to be officially labelled a terrorist organisation. During secret recruitment calls, attended by around 50 new 'comrades', the extremist group identified RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley in Anglesey as top targets. The group, which has already triggered a major security review of UK military bases, is understood to be targeting sites it claims are linked to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. It comes as the Government moves to proscribe Palestine Action as a terror organisation, a decision Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called 'vital' after the 'disgraceful' Brize Norton raid. In a disturbing presentation during the meeting, slides detailed how members should 'hit everything you can find with a sledgehammer' and form autonomous cells capable of operating undetected. Activists were also instructed to download the encrypted messaging app Signal to receive secret instructions. It comes just one week after the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and allegedly causing millions of pounds worth of damage to military aircraft. The meeting's organiser, appearing in front of a flag linked to the YPJ – a Kurdish female militia involved in the Syrian civil war – told potential recruits they must be willing to make 'sacrifices', including arrest and prison. 'The conviction and courage it takes to take this action in the first place is accepting that level of sacrifice,' she said. She added: 'As much as we can stand by our morals and our ethics, we have to know for a fact we have to be well informed that there are risks that we are taking – that is both legal consequences... but also psychologically and financially.' Those present at the online gathering were told they would be divided into individual cells to carry out attacks independently – a tactic designed to avoid leaders being arrested, similar to the structure of groups like Extinction Rebellion. Among the participants were university lecturers, a clergyman, and others described as ranging 'from nursery teachers to surgeons', aged from 18 to 80. The organiser confirmed: 'There are 19 members of the group currently in prison.' Palestine Action's list of future targets also includes UAV Tactical Systems, a drone firm based in Leicester and owned by Elbit. RAF Cranwell, home to the RAF's prestigious officer training college, is said to be of particular interest to the group. RAF Barkston Heath is used for pilot training, while RAF Valley trains the UK's next generation of fighter pilots. Last Friday, the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. They managed to infiltrate the base and escape without being caught. The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. The seriousness of these attacks includes the extent and nature of damage caused, including to targets affecting UK national security, and the impact on innocent members of the public fleeing for safety and subjected to violence. The extent of damage across these three attacks alone, spreading the length and breadth of the UK, runs into the millions of pounds. Attendees were given detailed legal advice, including how to qualify for legal aid. Members were told not to rely on duty solicitors, but instead to use pre-arranged lawyers. The group insisted it would not pay legal costs but would provide moral and logistical support through an 'arrest support group'. New members were warned that 'locking on' to equipment or buildings could lead to six months in prison, while criminal damage over £5,000 or burglary could land them up to 10 years behind bars. Yet despite the looming terror designation – which could result in up to 14 years in jail for anyone supporting or joining the organisation – the group appears undeterred. One speaker declared the proposed ban 'draconian and dangerous' and insisted: 'Palestine Action will continue to operate.' The movement is led by Huda Ammori, 31, a British-born activist from Bolton. The daughter of a Palestinian surgeon and an Iraqi mother, she co-founded Palestine Action in 2020 alongside Richard Barnard, a former Extinction Rebellion member. Writing in April, Ammori explained the group's structure was deliberately designed to outwit the authorities. 'By being security-conscious and working in small groups, we can make it difficult for the authorities to respond to individual actions,' she said. She claims the group has flourished despite arrests, and insists they are prepared for further government crackdowns. At the end of the call, recruits were asked to accept an 'actions agreement', which stated: 'Each individual takes part in the movement from their own free will. We encourage all to join but we do not pressure people into doing things that make them uncomfortable.' A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'The UK's defence estate is vital to our national security and this government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk. 'This Government is taking the strong step of proscribing Palestine Action due to its activities, which are a threat to our national security.'
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Zelenskyy praises 'brilliant' operation following drone attack on Russian bombers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the 'brilliant operation' aimed at 'military targets' on Russian territory, after a Ukrainian security official said a drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. The attack on the eve of peace talks was part of a sharp ramping up of the three-year war. Meanwhile, Moscow said sabotage was to blame for two train derailments that left seven people dead
