UK police arrest protesters near base used by US / Photo: CHRIS RADBURN - AFP
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UK police arrest protesters near base used by US
British police said they arrested seven people on Sunday at a protest near an air base in eastern England used by US forces, accusing them of supporting the banned group Palestine Action.
Activists had gathered to protest the alleged use of the Royal Air Force Lakenheath base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the war in the Middle East.
The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, which organised the protest, said the seven had been arrested wearing clothing with the message: "We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action."
Police said the five men and two women had been arrested "on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation last year, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group.
In February, a court ruled the ban was "disproportionate" and interfered with the right to free speech.
But the government has appealed, and the ban remains in effect in the meantime.
More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers 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 might be in the future".
Two protesters were also arrested on Saturday at Lakenheath and charged with obstructing public thoroughfares, police said.
The New York Times and BBC have reported that images relayed by Iranian media of the US fighter jet shot down on Friday in Iran match a model typically stationed at Lakenheath.
President Donald Trump has railed against Starmer for what he calls insufficient support for the US campaign in the Middle East, straining the countries' longtime alliance.
The UK has authorised the United States to use British military bases to carry out "defensive" operations against Iran and protect the vital Strait of Hormuz.
A.P.Maia--PC
