Seven people have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action after a protest at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The arrests occurred on Sunday morning during a blockade outside the main gate of the airbase, organised by the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace.
The protest was triggered by media reports that a US fighter jet shot down in Iran on Friday had taken off from the Lakenheath base. Two additional individuals were arrested on Saturday and charged with wilful obstruction of a highway. Michelle Macdonagh, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, and Yvan Cormier-Scott, from Southsea, Hampshire, have been bailed to appear at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.
The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace stated that the seven arrestees were wearing tabards reading 'We oppose genocide. We support Palestine Action'. The group noted that the High Court ruled in February that the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action was unlawful, but the ban remains in place pending a Home Office appeal.
Suffolk Police confirmed the arrests, stating: 'Police have arrested seven people, five men and two women, in Lakenheath on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation. They have been taken to Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre for questioning.' The force emphasised its duty to enforce the law as it currently stands.
Since Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act last summer, over 2,700 people have been arrested for supporting the group, many for holding placards with slogans. The peace encampment, which began on Wednesday, is scheduled to continue until Monday.
