Pro-Palestine activists on electric scooters have damaged two Royal Air Force (RAF) planes at the UK’s largest airbase, Brize Norton, in a protest against Britain’s military support for Israel. The group, Palestine Action, used “repurposed fire extinguishers” to spray red paint into the turbine engines and caused further damage using crowbars.
The activists targeted the airbase because flights from there regularly depart for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which is used for military operations in Gaza and across the Middle East. The group claimed that Britain’s actions are complicit in the “Gaza genocide and war crimes” across the region.
A spokesperson for Palestine Action said the action aimed to break the “chains of oppression” by decommissioning two military planes. In contrast, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson described the RAF as “the very best of Britain”, saying their duty is to defend the country.
The airbase in Cyprus has been used for surveillance flights over Gaza, with the MoD claiming they are solely in support of “hostage rescue”. However, details about the RAF Akrotiri base’s activities remain shrouded in secrecy.
Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-palestine-activists-air-base-electric-scooters-damage-raf-planes-escape