Seven people were arrested Sunday in eastern England during a rally near a military base used by the US Army, according to local police. The arrests took place near the Lakenheath site, at the center of a protest against the facility's role in military operations in the Middle East.
The five men and two women arrested are suspected of supporting Palestine Action, a group classified as a terrorist organization and banned in the United Kingdom since July 2025. According to authorities, their participation in the demonstration, organized by the anti-military group Lakenheath Alliance For Peace, was related to this. The demonstrators carried messages expressing their support for the movement.
Lakenheath Air Force Base is accused by organizers of serving as a launching point for American air operations in the ongoing conflict. This situation fuels tensions surrounding the involvement of the United Kingdom, which has authorized the United States to use some of its military facilities for operations described as "defensive," particularly those related to securing the Strait of Hormuz.
The classification of Palestine Action is, however, a subject of debate. In February, the British courts ruled the ban "disproportionate," but it remains in effect pending the government's appeal. Since its adoption, more than 2,700 people have been arrested in connection with demonstrations linked to the movement, according to NGOs.
These latest arrests are part of a series of similar actions: two other protesters had already been detained the previous day for obstruction. In this context, the police insist on their obligation to enforce the law as it stands, despite the legal and political challenges surrounding this sensitive case.
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