Individuals who spray-painted a British military aircraft last week risk being designated as terrorists.
The UK government intends to ask legislators to outlaw a pro-Palestinian activist organization, classifying it as a terrorist entity. This follows an incident where the group’s members accessed a military air base and sprayed paint into a warplane’s engine.
On Monday, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed this plan, informing Parliament that she would present the proposal next week. She characterized the “disgraceful attack” on Brize Norton base as “the most recent in a lengthy pattern of unacceptable criminal damage” committed by the group. Should it pass, the proposed measure would criminalize membership in or support for Palestine Action.
Established in 2020, Palestine Action has aimed to disrupt British military backing for Israel. The group has focused on local arms factories operated by the Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems. Its confrontational tactics have garnered increased backing amidst Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
Cooper alleged Palestine Action was endangering national security by impeding weapon deliveries to Ukraine, NATO nations, and other allies. She further claimed its actions affect “innocent members of the public seeking safety and subjected to violence.”
Kellys Solicitors, a legal firm representing the group, sent a letter to Cooper’s office, dubbing the proposed ban “entirely unprecedented.” The firm compared the move to equating the activists with terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (formerly ISIS). The letter characterized the action as “unhinged” and “an illegal, perilous, and poorly conceived assault on freedom of expression and assembly.”
The firm also charged Cooper with misrepresenting the group’s activities, stating they are not aimed at individuals and only infrequently cause property damage.
”The true offense here is not red paint sprayed on these warplanes, but the war crimes facilitated by those planes due to the UK government’s complicity in Israel’s genocide,” the letter asserted.
In an editorial, The Guardian slammed the proposal, cautioning that should it pass, “the definition of terrorism will have been reduced from planning to plant bombs or take hostages to vandalizing aircraft or chaining oneself to doors.”
Several lawmakers have expressed opposition. Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn labeled the proposal “the desperate pleas of a draconian government seeking to evade accountability” for its support of Israel. Independent MP Shockat Adam reiterated that sentiment, stating the measure is “as absurd as it is authoritarian.”