20
Jun
Jun
UK LAUNCHES SECURITY REVIEW AFTER PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS BREAK INTO RAF BASE, DAMAGE MILITARY PLANES
-
CapitalTimesNews / 8 months
- 0
- 2 min read
A security review has been launched across UK military bases after pro-Palestinian activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed two military planes with red paint. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, with footage posted online by Palestine Action showing two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase in darkness, one riding on a scooter up to an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the action as “disgraceful”, saying it was an “act of vandalism”. Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “really disturbed” by the incident and had ordered an investigation and a wider security review. Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the incident, saying the activists evaded security and put the air-to-air refuelling tankers “out of service”. However, RAF engineers are assessing the damage, and a defence source told said they did not expect the incident to affect operations. The group said in a statement, “Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.” Counter-terror police said the incident happened in the early hours of Friday, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances. RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The air force has conducted reconnaissance flights over Gaza out of the Cyprus base. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the incident had not blocked any planned aircraft movements or stopped any operations. Lord West, Labour minister for UK security and former head of the Royal Navy, said the break-in was “extremely worrying” and that breaches like it were “really a problem” for national security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the security breach as “deeply concerning”, saying, “This is not lawful protest, it is politically motivated criminality.” The local Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard called the activists’ actions “stupid and dangerous”, emphasizing the need to establish how the breach occurred and prevent future incidents. The investigation is ongoing, with South East counter-terrorism police working alongside Thames Valley Police and the MoD to locate and arrest those responsible.