4 Palestine Action activists charged after break-in at UK air force base

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Four Palestine Action members have been charged in connection with a terrorism investigation after $9.5 million damage was caused to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton last month, counter-terrorism police have said.

In a statement, Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said late Wednesday that they charged four people as part of an investigation into an incident in which damage was caused to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire on June 20.

Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 35, Jony Cink, 24, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, have been charged with "conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, both offences being contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977," said the statement.

It came after Palestine Action activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two military aircraft in protest of the "UK's continued support to Israel" amid ongoing attacks on Gaza.

The CTPSE also noted that all four activists were remanded in custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this week.

"The CPS will be submitting to the court that these offences have a terrorist connection," said the statement.

It also noted that the charges are in connection with last month's incident in which "damage totalling around £7m ($9.5 million) was caused to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton."

Also, a 41-year-old woman, who was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of assisting an offender, was released on bail until Sept. 19 while a 23-year-old man arrested on Saturday was released without charge.

- MPs vote to ban Palestine Action

On Wednesday, British lawmakers voted in favor of banning the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action.

The draft order to amend the Terrorism Act 2000 and proscribe three organizations, including Palestine Action, which was formally presented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this week, was passed in the House of Commons by 385 votes to 26.

Many politicians and human rights organizations have expressed concern since the government announced its plan to ban the group.

Recently, a group of more than 400 cultural figures urged the British government to step back from its intention to ban Palestine Action and to "stop arming Israel."

UN human rights experts on Tuesday also called on the government to abandon its plan to classify Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, warning that such a move would violate international standards and suppress legitimate dissent.

Following the vote, a spokesperson for Palestine Action said: "We are confident that this unlawful order will be overturned. As United Nations experts have made clear, spraying red paint and disrupting the British-based operations of Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit Systems, is not terrorism."

The order will go to the House of Lords, and final approval is expected to come within days.

If passed, the order will make it a criminal offense to be a member of one of the groups or to invite or recklessly express support for them and make it an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison to belong to or support the groups.