Fifth person charged over damage to planes at RAF Brize Norton
The 22-year-old was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on June 20.
The action, which was claimed by the group Palestine Action, caused £7 million worth of damage to the aircraft.
The Government moved to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws after the group claimed responsibility.
Four people were charged last month in connection with the incident.
One woman who was arrested remains under investigation on police bail and one man previously arrested was released without charge.
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Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Protests against Palestine Action ban to continue ‘until November'
Defend Our Juries said more than 500 people have committed to risking arrest by holding 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' signs on Saturday afternoon in London's Parliament Square. The campaign group said the protest in the capital is the only action it is organising on Saturday, but added that there could be 'other actions in solidarity' which are independently organised. A High Court ruling, last week, decided that Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori had several 'reasonably arguable' beliefs in her challenge over the group's ban that would be heard at a three-day hearing in November, but a bid to pause the ban temporarily was refused. The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Defend Our Juries spokesman Tim Crosland said: 'There will be more actions to come in September and October until the law is struck down, as we believe it will be in November at the High Court.' Mr Crosland said Defend Our Juries had received legal advice that claims against the police 'for unlawful arrest and for trespass to people's property' could be possible if the High Court rules in Palestine Action's favour. The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone found to be expressing support for Palestine Action on Saturday 'can expect to be arrested'. More than 200 people were arrested at a wave of protests across the UK in response to the proscription last month as part of the campaign co-ordinated by Defend Our Juries. Mr Crosland said police forces were in 'disarray' over their handling of the protests, adding that no protesters had yet been charged. He added: 'Nobody has been charged, it's important to say. And there's a sense that there aren't going to be any charges until the other side of the judicial review.' Discussing the arrests, Mr Crosland said: 'In Derry, in Edinburgh, Kendal, Chichester, police have left people be – it shows they can exercise common sense if they want to. 'In London, people have been arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which is the lesser of the two possible charges, and somewhere between six and 12 hours after a police interview in the police cells, people have been arrested without charge. 'In Cardiff, people were arrested under Section 12, which is an offence punishable with 14 years' imprisonment – doing exactly the same thing, holding the same sign, quietly sitting – they were held in police custody beyond the 24-hour maximum. The time was extended under the terrorism laws while those people's houses were raided.' Palestine Action co-founder Ms Ammori said the campaign by Defend Our Juries had been 'crucial' in winning a bid to bring a High Court challenge over the group's ban. Ms Ammori told the press conference: 'It was a major factor in the judge's decision when he decided to give us permission because hundreds of people had already been arrested who will then potentially go through the criminal court system, and the judicial review will allow an authoritative decision to be made by the High Court. 'If that is successful, it would mean that the order was unlawful from the moment the decision was made to implement it, and all subsequent arrests were also unlawful.' A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. 'Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' The move to ban Palestine Action came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, which police said caused about £7 million worth of damage. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action three days later, saying the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Leader Live
Protests against Palestine Action ban to continue ‘until November'
Defend Our Juries said more than 500 people have committed to risking arrest by holding 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' signs on Saturday afternoon in London's Parliament Square. The campaign group said the protest in the capital is the only action it is organising on Saturday, but added that there could be 'other actions in solidarity' which are independently organised. A High Court ruling, last week, decided that Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori had several 'reasonably arguable' beliefs in her challenge over the group's ban that would be heard at a three-day hearing in November, but a bid to pause the ban temporarily was refused. The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Defend Our Juries spokesman Tim Crosland said: 'There will be more actions to come in September and October until the law is struck down, as we believe it will be in November at the High Court.' Mr Crosland said Defend Our Juries had received legal advice that claims against the police 'for unlawful arrest and for trespass to people's property' could be possible if the High Court rules in Palestine Action's favour. The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone found to be expressing support for Palestine Action on Saturday 'can expect to be arrested'. More than 200 people were arrested at a wave of protests across the UK in response to the proscription last month as part of the campaign co-ordinated by Defend Our Juries. Mr Crosland said police forces were in 'disarray' over their handling of the protests, adding that no protesters had yet been charged. He added: 'Nobody has been charged, it's important to say. And there's a sense that there aren't going to be any charges until the other side of the judicial review.' Discussing the arrests, Mr Crosland said: 'In Derry, in Edinburgh, Kendal, Chichester, police have left people be – it shows they can exercise common sense if they want to. 'In London, people have been arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which is the lesser of the two possible charges, and somewhere between six and 12 hours after a police interview in the police cells, people have been arrested without charge. 'In Cardiff, people were arrested under Section 12, which is an offence punishable with 14 years' imprisonment – doing exactly the same thing, holding the same sign, quietly sitting – they were held in police custody beyond the 24-hour maximum. The time was extended under the terrorism laws while those people's houses were raided.' Palestine Action co-founder Ms Ammori said the campaign by Defend Our Juries had been 'crucial' in winning a bid to bring a High Court challenge over the group's ban. Ms Ammori told the press conference: 'It was a major factor in the judge's decision when he decided to give us permission because hundreds of people had already been arrested who will then potentially go through the criminal court system, and the judicial review will allow an authoritative decision to be made by the High Court. 'If that is successful, it would mean that the order was unlawful from the moment the decision was made to implement it, and all subsequent arrests were also unlawful.' A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people to turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. 'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. 'Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.' The move to ban Palestine Action came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, which police said caused about £7 million worth of damage. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action three days later, saying the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Home Secretary 'made false allegations against Palestine Action'
Huda Ammori accused Yvette Cooper of making 'categorically untrue' statements about the group, which she proscribed under terror laws earlier this year. The co-founder of the group, who is currently pursuing a legal challenge against the ban on Palestine Action, cast doubt on Cooper's claim to have seen 'disturbing' evidence about the group's future plans. Cooper previously said her decision to ban the group under the Terrorism Act – an unprecedented step against a direct action group – was based on 'detailed security assessments', adding: 'It's based on violent action and injuries that this group has taken, including on national security targets, but also injuries to people, and also some disturbing information referring to future planning as well.' Details of alleged violence have remained vague, with cases against activists affiliated to the group going through the courts. Speaking at an online press conference on Wednesday, Ammori said: 'It's very hard to rebut evidence which nobody has seen apart from allegedly the Home Secretary. I think what's important to note here is that she's referring to secret evidence publicly on TV channels, which hasn't been disclosed in the legal case.' She added: 'I'd also say that the Home Secretary has made many false allegations publicly, including the Iranian funding et cetera and these are things that I would dispute completely as false statements.' Cooper herself has not said that Palestine Action was funded by Iran however, Home Office officials briefed The Times in June that they were investigating this as a possibility. READ MORE: Lindsay Hoyle urged to release secret Israeli emails after blocking publication Ammori said that Cooper was 'on the back foot' as she pointed out that there were 'hundreds of people willing to put their liberty on the line' with more than 500 people signed up to hold up placards supporting the group in London on Saturday. It is expected the protest will lead to a slew of arrests. Similar demonstrations have resulted in arrests, including an 83-year-old retired priest, Sue Parfitt in July. Veteran activist Sean Clerkin previously told the Glasgow Times how he had been banned from Glasgow city centre after he was charged under the Terrorism Act for displaying a sign which read: "Genocide in Palestine, Time to Take Action." And a man was charged for allegedly displaying a sign supportive of the organisation from the window of his flat in Shawlands, Glasgow. Expressing support for Palestine Action – as with other officially-designated terrorist groups such as Isis and Al-Qaeda – can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years while wearing clothes with their branding can land an offender in jail for six months. Ammori said that the proscription of Palestine Action was 'solely based on property damage', arguing that the details of alleged violent offences was 'categorically untrue or unavailable to the rest of us to actually be able to properly rebut and come back on'. She added: 'I think this part of the abuse of power that she is enacting by doing these interviews where she is able to refer to this supposed secret evidence that nobody else is able to see. 'It's an abuse of the legal process and the current judicial review and it further adds to the inability of people to express their freedom of expression and to have the right to reply to these quite serious allegations that she is making.' The Home Office was approached for comment.
