The activists were protesting the alleged use of the RAF base as a departure point for American aircraft involved in the US–Israel war over Iran.
Published on 5 April 2026
British police have arrested seven people on suspicion of supporting the banned group Palestine Action at a protest near a Royal Air Force (RAF) air base in eastern England used by the United States military.
The five men and two women arrested at a peace camp just outside Lakenheath Air Base had gathered with other activists on Sunday to protest the alleged use of the base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the US-Israeli war over Iran.
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The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, which organized the protest, said seven people were arrested wearing clothing bearing the message: “We oppose genocide, we support Palestine action.”
Police said the protesters were arrested “on suspicion of supporting a banned organisation”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor government last year banned Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organization, making it a criminal offense to belong to or support the group.
In February, a court ruled that the ban was “disproportionate” and an interference with the right to freedom of expression. But the government has appealed and in the meantime the ban will remain in effect.
More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds have been charged for holding rallies in support of the group, according to protest organizer Defend Our Juries.
Police said in a statement on the latest arrests that they had a duty to enforce the law “as it currently stands, not as it may be in the future”.
Two protesters were also arrested in Lakenheath on Saturday and charged with obstruction of public thoroughfares, police said.
US President Donald Trump has criticized Starmer for inadequate support in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has strained the countries’ long-standing alliance.
The United Kingdom has authorized the US to conduct “defensive” operations against Iran and use British military bases to defend the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil passes in peacetime.
