Palestine Action to be banned after break in at RAF base, Sky News understands | UK News

The home secretary is planning to proscribe the Palestine Action group, effectively branding them as a terrorist organisation, Sky News understands.

Yvette Cooper is preparing a written ministerial statement which would make becoming a member of the group illegal.

The statement is expected on Monday and will then need to be enacted through new legislation.

It comes after pro-Palestinian activists targeted RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft – with Sir Keir Starmer describing their actions as “disgraceful”.

A security review has now been launched after the breach.

Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, is the largest RAF station with approximately 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.

In a video shared online by Palestine Action earlier on Friday, a person can be seen approaching an aircraft on a scooter as music is played. Red paint can be seen on the ground.

The organisation – which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and has previously targeted corporate banks – said it had damaged two military planes at the base, where flights depart on a daily basis for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Aircraft based at Akrotiri include RAF Typhoons, which were used last year in strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, as well as Puma helicopters.

The group said two activists “broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes”

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