Pro-Palestine activists break into UK's air force base, 'damage' 2 aircraft
'It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to stop what YOU have allowed,' says Palestine Action in response to UK premier's criticism
Credit: palestineaction.org
LONDON
A pro-Palestine group on Friday said a number of its activists broke into Britain's largest Royal Air Force (RAF) station and damaged two military aircraft.
Protesting the UK's support for Israel amid its ongoing attacks on Gaza, the group Palestine Action said on X that the activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged the aircraft.
The group said that British planes “depart daily from the base to RAF Akrotiri” in the Greek Cypriot Administration and from there “collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza."
They also shared a video showing one protester spraying red paint on the engine of a military aircraft.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the act "disgraceful."
"Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day," he wrote on X, voicing support "those who defend us."
In response, the group said it is the premier’s responsibility "to not be a war criminal" and “to not play an active military role in genocide."
It is Palestine Action’s responsibility “to do everything in our power to stop what YOU have allowed," it added.
Palestine Action is known for its actions against arms factories across the UK that supply military equipment to Israel, particularly since Israel’s sustained offensive began in October 2023.
According to the BBC, the British Defense Ministry strongly condemned the "vandalism of Royal Air Force assets" and said they are working closely with the police on the incident.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 55,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
