Burak Bir
03 July 2025•Update: 03 July 2025
LONDON
Four Palestine Action members have been charged in connection with a terrorism investigation after $9.5 million in damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton last month, according to counter-terrorism police.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said late Wednesday that it 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," it said in a statement.
It came after Palestine Action activists broke into the facility and damaged two military aircraft in protest of the "UK's continued support to Israel" amid attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Later Thursday, the four activists were remanded in custody at the Westminster Magistrates' Court, where they spoke only to confirm their identities.
The Guardian reported that there was applause and chants of "Free Palestine!" from the public gallery as the defendants were led away.
They will appear July 18 at the Central Criminal Court for Old Bailey.
"The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) will be submitting to the court that these offences have a terrorist connection," said the statement.
It 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 Thursday on suspicion of assisting an offender, was released on bail until Sept. 19, while a 23-year-old man arrested Saturday was released without charge.
MPs vote to ban Palestine Action
British lawmakers voted Wednesday in favor of banning the pro-Palestinian activist group.
The draft order to amend the Terrorism Act 2000 and proscribe three organizations, Palestine Action, Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC) and the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM), which was formally presented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this week, was passed in the House of Commons in a 385 – 26 vote.
Many politicians and human rights organizations have expressed concern since the government announced plans to ban the group.
Recently, a group of more than 400 cultural figures urged the government to step back from its intention to ban Palestine Action and to "stop arming Israel."
UN human rights experts also called on the government to abandon its plan to classify Palestine Action as a terror organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, warning that it would violate international standards and suppress legitimate dissent.
"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," a spokesperson for Palestine Action said after the vote.
The order will go to the House of Lords, and final approval is expected 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.
