LONDON

Palestine Action, a pro-Palestine action group, will be proscribed in the UK after activists broke into Britain's largest Royal Air Force (RAF) station and damaged two aircraft, according to media reports on Friday.

The Home Secretary will move to ban the Palestine Action group in the coming weeks, effectively branding them as a terror organization, the BBC reported.

It came after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two aircraft in protest of the UK's support for Israel and its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The group said 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."

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is preparing a statement to put before parliament on Monday, according to reports.

If passed, becoming a member of the group will be illegal.

The move by the UK has sparked criticism, including from rights groups such as Amnesty International UK, which expressed concern.

"We’re deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups," it wrote on X.

It noted that it is the latest in a succession of measures taken by the UK government "to clamp down on protest in the UK."

"Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn't be used to ban them," it added.

Quoting the report on X, Palestine Action wrote that it represents "every individual who opposes the Israeli war machine."

"We represent every person who stands for Palestinian liberation. If they want to ban us, they ban us all," it added.

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