On June 20, 2025, two pro-Palestinian activists from the group Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton, the UK’s largest airbase in Oxfordshire, in a significant security breach. Using electric scooters, they accessed the base at night, sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft, and caused additional damage with crowbars.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the act as "disgraceful vandalism," and Defence Secretary John Healey launched a security review across UK military bases.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East, Thames Valley Police, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are investigating, but as of the latest reports, no arrests have been made.
The Home Secretary is also moving to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Keir Starmer posted to X after the Brize Norton break in:
The act of vandalism committed at RAF Brize Norton is disgraceful.
Our Armed Forces represent the very best of Britain and put their lives on the line for us every day.
It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.
Keir Starmer is being ridiculed on social media after it emerged that he had previously represented a group of individuals who broke into RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in 2003.
In 2003, Keir Starmer, then a human rights barrister, defended individuals involved in the "Fairford Five" case, where anti-war protesters broke into RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to sabotage US bombers before the Iraq War.
Keir Starmer argued that while their actions were unlawful, they were justified as an attempt to prevent war crimes, asserting that the Iraq War lacked legal basis under international law due to the absence of a clear UN resolution. It is reported that Starmer represented Josh Richards, who was allegedly found with a mixture of petroleum and washing-up liquid intended to ignite bomber wheels, arguing Richards believed his actions were reasonable to stop an illegal war. Richards was cleared after the jury failed to reach a verdict.
You can read the official judgement here.
https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1935999065327534232
