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The group Palestine Action said two members entered RAF Brize
Norton on Wednesday and used electric scooters to approach the
Voyager jets, which are used for air-to-air refueling.
The duo sprayed red paint into the planes’ turbine engines with
repurposed fire extinguishers and caused further damage with
crowbars, according to the group, which released video footage
appearing to show an individual approach a jet and spray paint
into the engine.
The activists left the base without being detained, Palestine
Action said.
The group said in a statement that “despite publicly condemning
the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military
cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter
jets.” It called the U.K. “an active participant in the Gaza
genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.”
Britain's Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident, saying:
“We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets.”
Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of
London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain’s main
air base for operations in the Middle East. The U.K. has sent
more Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager tankers to Cyprus since
the Israel-Iran war started a week ago for what Prime Minister
Keir Starmer called “contingency support.”
Iran has threatened to attack U.S., French and British bases in
the region if those countries help Israel fend off Iranian
strikes.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement that it had “received a
report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing
criminal damage.”
Officers were working with staff at the base and the Ministry of
Defense Police to arrest the perpetrators, the department said.
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