Palestine Action have damaged two military planes at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where flights leave daily for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus – a base used for military operations in Gaza and across the Middle East.
Two activists broke into the largest air force base in Britain and used electric scooters to swiftly manoeuvre towards the planes.
They used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyagers and caused further damage using crowbars.
Red paint – symbolising Palestinian bloodshed – was also sprayed across the runway. Both activists managed to evade security and arrest.
Palestine Action said: “By putting the planes out of service, activists have interrupted Britain’s direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. From Akrotiri, the RAF have flown hundreds of surveillance missions in support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and the base is also used for UK and U.S. military cargo transports to the Israeli military.
“In a speech to troops at Akrotiri in December 2024, Keir Starmer hailed the troops’ efforts while stating that ‘Quite a bit of what goes on here can’t necessarily be talked about… we can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing.’ By this point, Israel had massacred tens
of thousands in Gaza, the Akrotiri base had been used to collected up-to 1,000 hours of reconnaissance footage over the Strip in assistance of Israel.”
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According to Palestine Action, the targeted planes are Airbus Voyagers, which can carry military cargo and are used to refuel Israeli/U.S./UK military aircrafts and fighter jets.
They added that RAF Brize Norton has also played host to numerous Israel Air Force transport flights within recent months.
A Palestine Action spokesperson has said: “Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. Britain isn’t just complicit, it’s an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the action as “disgraceful”, saying that it was an “act of vandalism.”
The Ministry of Defence, which has also condemned the move, is now expected to conduct a review of security at UK military bases. It is working with Thames Valley Police, which is leading the investigation.
RAF engineers are assessing the damage and a defence source told the BBC they did not expect the incident to affect operations.
An MoD spokeswoman said: “Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”
Thames Valley Police confirmed it had received a report about people gaining access to the base and causing criminal damage. “Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible,” the force said.
