- 'Despite us not being proscribed, the state is treating red paint on warplanes as an act of terrorism,' says Palestine Action

LONDON 

UK counterterrorism police have arrested four people in connection with the break-in at a Royal Air Force (RAF) base by Palestine Action activists, according to a police statement on Friday.

South East counterterrorism police said they have arrested a 29-year-old woman of no fixed abode and two men, aged 36 and 24, on terror charges.

Also, a 41-year-old woman, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, the BBC reported, citing the police statement.

Activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two aircraft last Friday in protest against the UK's support for Israel and its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the act "disgraceful."

"The suspects, aged 24, 29 and 36, are suspected of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000," said the police.

Following the arrests, Palestine Action said: "Despite us not being proscribed, the state is treating red paint on warplanes as an act of terrorism."

"They will be held for several days in solitary confinement without charge," it wrote on X.

Following the RAF action, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday announced her intention to proscribe the Palestine Action group.

Cooper said she would do so under the Terrorism Act—the move would make it illegal to be a member of or invite support for Palestine Action.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered in central Trafalgar Square on the same day to express support for Palestine Action, amid reports suggesting the group will be added to the terror list.

Palestine Action is known for actions against arms factories across the UK that supply military equipment to Israel, particularly since Israel’s sustained offensive began in October 2023.