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Pro-Palestinian activists broke into the UK’s largest Royal Air Force base on Friday, claiming to have damaged military aircraft in a protest against British support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
The campaign group Palestine Action said its members broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager planes, and “caused further damage” with crowbars.
A video posted by the group on X shows two protesters crossing the runway on electric scooters before spraying paint into the engines with repurposed fire extinguishers.
“Not only did actionists gain access to the military base, they also escaped undetected,” it said.
The incident at Brize Norton is the latest action by groups campaigning against British military support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza, and a rare instance of a successful breach of a UK military site.
It raised “serious questions for the [Ministry of Defence] to answer about how ‘protesters’ — who might even have turned out to be armed terrorists — were able to gain access to what is supposed to be a secure RAF air base”, said Mark Francois, the Conservative party’s shadow armed forces minister.
The Voyager fleet targeted by the campaigners is a series of air-to-air refuelling tankers capable of carrying up to 109 tonnes of fuel, routinely used by the RAF to support Nato operations.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a post on the social media platform X that the “act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful”.
“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 Ministry of Defence said it was working closely with the police to investigate the incident.
Thames Valley Police said: “We have received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage. An investigation has been launched and we are working with the Ministry of Defence Police and partners at RAF Brize Norton. Enquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible.”
The British government last week said it would deploy a new tranche of RAF fighter jets and other UK military aircraft to bases in the Middle East, hinting that the country might provide defensive support to Israel in its escalating confrontation with Iran.
“Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets”, Palestine Action said in a statement. “Britain isn’t just complicit, it’s an active participant.”
Although British suppliers account for a small percentage of Israeli arms imports, the government has faced mounting pressure from the public to take a harder line against the Netanyahu government. The UK announced last year that it would suspend direct arm sales to Israel, though it has faced continued criticism over Tel Aviv’s access to UK-manufactured components for the F-35 fighter jet through a global pool programme.
