Even prison walls aren’t stopping members of Palestine Action from pushing their radical agenda.
The controversial activist group claims its jailed members are still rallying others to join what they call the “intifada”—an uprising—right from inside UK prisons.
This revelation comes just as the UK government moves toward officially labeling Palestine Action a terrorist organization, following a string of escalating attacks on military sites across Britain.
RAF Base Breaches Spark Terror Arrests
Last week, the group shared video footage showing its members breaking into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and vandalizing two military aircraft.
The act quickly triggered a counter-terrorism response.
By Tuesday, four people had been arrested: a 29-year-old woman and two men (36 and 24) from London were held on suspicion of a terror offense, while a 41-year-old woman was picked up for allegedly helping an offender.
More Targets Named in Secret Recruitment Calls
Rather than backing down, the group is now ramping up recruitment and planning its next moves.
In private online calls attended by around 50 new recruits, organizers reportedly identified RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley in Anglesey, as upcoming targets.
During one meeting, activists were shown step-by-step guides on attacking sites with sledgehammers, forming covert cells, and communicating via the encrypted messaging app Signal. The tone? Openly militant.
“You Can Jail a Person, Not a Movement”
One former activist who recently served time in prison boasted that incarceration only made him more effective.
“They thought locking me up would stop the resistance,” he said during a workshop, “but you can imprison a revolutionary—not a revolution.”
This mindset seems to be echoing across the movement, with 19 members currently imprisoned, most of them awaiting trial over a 2023 break-in at Elbit Systems’ facility in Bristol.
New Recruits Told to Expect Arrests
At the secret virtual gatherings, new members were told in no uncertain terms to expect consequences.
One organizer—speaking in front of a flag associated with the Kurdish YPJ militia—said joining the group “requires sacrifice,” including the possibility of prison time and personal costs.
Yet people from all walks of life showed up, from clergy members and lecturers to nursery workers and surgeons, ranging in age from 18 to 80.
Built to Withstand Crackdowns
Palestine Action’s leader, Huda Ammori, a British-born activist of Palestinian and Iraqi descent, co-founded the group in 2020 alongside ex-Extinction Rebellion member Richard Barnard.
She says the group’s structure—small, secretive cells—was specifically designed to outmaneuver police and withstand government pressure.
Despite arrests and mounting legal heat, Ammori says morale is high and the group is only growing stronger.
“Voluntary but Serious” Involvement
At the end of the recruitment calls, new activists were asked to accept an “actions agreement” that emphasized autonomy: “We encourage everyone to join, but we won’t pressure anyone to go beyond their comfort zone.”
Still, that comfort zone includes plans for direct action, and the group makes no apology for its mission to shut down arms facilities linked to Israel.
Growing Concerns Over Extremism in UK Prisons
This rise in militant organizing—especially from inside prisons—has alarmed political leaders.
Earlier this year, Conservative MP Robert Jenrick warned that extremist groups are gaining influence in the UK’s high-security prisons.
He cited the brutal April attack by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi, which left three officers severely injured.
Jenrick called the situation a “turning point” and slammed prisons as places of “appeasement” rather than punishment.
Government Cracks Down
In response to the escalating threats, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson issued a sharp warning:
“The UK’s defence infrastructure is vital to our national security.
This government will not tolerate threats to that security.
That’s why we’re moving to proscribe Palestine Action.”
If the ban is finalized, Palestine Action’s activities could become a criminal offense, and supporters may face prosecution.