Home Secretary Yvette Cooper set to present proscription order to Parliament next week following ‘disgraceful’ vandalism of military jets
PALESTINE Action is set to be banned as a terrorist organisation following their brazen attack on RAF Brize Norton, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper preparing to present a proscription order to Parliament next week.
The dramatic move would make membership of the pro-Palestinian group illegal and effectively brand them as terrorists – marking a major escalation in the government’s response to Friday’s security breach.
According to BBC reports, Cooper is preparing a written statement to be delivered to MPs on Monday which, if passed, would see Palestine Action join the ranks of proscribed terror groups in the UK.
TERROR BAN LOOMS
The proscription order would need to be enacted through new legislation, with the drastic measure placing Palestine Action alongside groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS on the UK’s list of banned terrorist organisations.
If approved, anyone who becomes a member of Palestine Action, invites support for the group, or displays their logo could face up to 14 years in prison.
The move comes after two activists rode e-scooters onto the runway at Britain’s largest RAF base and sabotaged two Voyager aircraft with red paint and crowbars before escaping undetected.
POLITICAL PRESSURE MOUNTS
The decision follows intense political pressure from across the spectrum, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declaring: “Palestine Action must be proscribed as a terrorist organisation after the attack on RAF planes at Brize Norton.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the incident as “deeply concerning,” adding: “This is not lawful protest, it is politically-motivated criminality.
Labour MP David Taylor told the Jewish Chronicle that Palestine Action “should now be considered for proscription under the Terrorism Act,” adding: “This group have engaged in illegal activity: smashing into defence sites, vandalising property, and disrupting key infrastructure.
PM CONDEMNS ‘DISGRACEFUL’ ATTACK
Prime Minister Keir Starmer branded the attack “disgraceful,” saying: “Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”
The brazen raid saw activists spray red paint – which they claim symbolises “Palestinian bloodshed” – into the engines of multi-million pound Voyager aircraft using repurposed fire extinguishers.
They also used crowbars to cause further damage before leaving a Palestinian flag at the scene and escaping without being caught.
HISTORY OF EXTREMISM
Palestine Action, founded in 2020, has conducted numerous high-profile attacks against British defence contractors and infrastructure it associates with Israel.
Lord Walney, the government’s former adviser on extremism, had already recommended the group be banned in a review published last year, describing them as an “extreme protest group.
He said: “With Iran’s nuclear programme on the brink and Britain facing rising threats from abroad, we shouldn’t let these criminal activists act like the Ayatollah’s apparatchiks by attacking the country from within.
COUNTER-TERROR POLICE HUNT
Counter Terrorism Policing South East has taken over the investigation from Thames Valley Police as the hunt continues for the activists who carried out Friday’s attack.
The security breach at RAF Brize Norton – home to 5,800 service personnel – has sparked a major review of military base security ordered by Defence Secretary John Healey.
FALSE CLAIMS EXPOSED
Palestine Action claimed the aircraft were involved in supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza, but defence sources dismissed this as “totally inaccurate.
An RAF source said: “The aircraft targeted are not used in support of Israeli forces. The UK operates independently and Israel has no requirement for British tankers – they operate their own fleet.
WHAT PROSCRIPTION MEANS
If Palestine Action is proscribed:
- Being a member would be illegal
- Inviting support for the group would be a criminal offence
- Wearing clothing or carrying articles that arouse suspicion of membership would be banned
- Publishing images of their logo could lead to prosecution
- Maximum penalty would be 14 years in prison
The group boasted about the attack on social media, claiming: “By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.
TERROR LEGISLATION PROCESS
The proscription process requires the Home Secretary to believe an organisation is “concerned in terrorism” as defined by the Terrorism Act 2000.
This includes organisations that:
- Commit or participate in acts of terrorism
- Prepare for terrorism
- Promote or encourage terrorism
- Are otherwise concerned in terrorism
Parliament must approve the order, which would then come into force immediately upon being passed.
As the government moves to ban Palestine Action, questions remain about how two people on e-scooters managed to breach one of Britain’s most important military installations and cause significant damage before escaping without trace.
