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Four people have been charged by UK counterterrorism police after a break-in at a Royal Air Force base which damaged military aircraft.
The charges come after members of Palestine Action in June broke into Brize Norton, the country’s largest Royal Air Force base, and sprayed red paint on aircraft to protest against Britain’s military support for Israel.
The incident, which saw two people enter RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on electric scooters and leave undetected, prompted the Ministry of Defence to launch a security review across UK military bases.
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, and Jony Cink, 24 — both of no fixed abode — Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 35, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, of London, were remanded in custody and due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, police said.
The group has been charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for a purpose “prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom”, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, police said.
The police statement added that the Crown Prosecution Service will submit that the offences have a “terrorist connection”, although no charges under the terrorism legislation have been brought at this stage.
MP’s on Wednesday voted to pass a controversial proposal to proscribe the pro-Palestinian campaign group as a terrorist organisation, making membership of and support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Palestine Action did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The investigation into the incident also led to the arrest of a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender, but she was released on bail until September 19. A 23-year-old man arrested over the weekend was released without charge.
