A man has been arrested after a fire broke out at Hitler’s former Alpine retreat, the Kehlsteinhaus, on Friday night. Difficult terrain hampered firefighting efforts, with the blaze still burning on Saturday morning.
Published On 24 Oct 202624 Oct 2026
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A U.S. Navy F-35C has made the first arrested landing for the type aboard a Ford class aircraft carrier, with the milestone taking place aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) in the Western Atlantic on October 13, 2026. The milestone marks a major step in testing the Navy’s stealth fighter aboard its newest carrier class, following years of challenges integrating advanced launch and recovery systems.
Two F-35C test pilots assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), part of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), flew to the carrier as part of an ongoing Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) campaign. A team from the Patuxent River-based F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF), detached to the ship, is conducting the evaluation using a specially instrumented example of the carrier-capable stealth fighter. The imagery released shows two jets, although only one is seen landing on the flattop. The other is seen carrying inert Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs externally.
The Navy took preliminary acceptance of the carrier from Newport News Shipbuilding on September 29, following successful acceptance trials in August. That development allows the ship and its crew to conduct at-sea testing and build underway proficiency while the shipbuilder completes final systems testing ahead of formal delivery, scheduled for spring 2027.
The test is an important step in validating the integration of the F-35C with the Ford class. The Navy’s newest carriers use electromagnetic catapults and advanced arresting equipment, replacing the steam-powered launch systems and conventional arresting machinery found aboard the preceding Nimitz class.
Aircraft Compatibility Testing assesses the operational capabilities of a ship’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment with U.S. Navy aircraft. The process helps engineers evaluate how the carrier’s systems interact with individual aircraft and collect data needed to validate their performance.
The F-35C is specifically designed for carrier operations, with larger wings, reinforced landing gear and a beefier tail hook compared with the Air Force’s F-35A. Its ability to launch from a carrier and recover through an arrested landing is central to its role in the Navy’s carrier air wings, which also include F-35Cs operated by the U.S. Marine Corps.
The use of a specially instrumented aircraft is particularly relevant to the test campaign. Instrumentation allows test teams to record data during flight-deck operations, helping them assess system performance and identify any issues requiring further evaluation.
The first arrested landing aboard John F. Kennedy demonstrates that the ship has reached an important F-35C compatibility milestone. It does not, however, establish that all testing, certification, or operational qualification requirements have been completed.
The milestone comes against the backdrop of the Ford class program’s difficulties integrating some of its advanced aviation systems. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), introduced the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), technologies intended to improve aircraft-launch flexibility, recovery performance, and overall sortie generation. Development and reliability challenges with both EMALS and AAG have contributed to delays in the class’s progress. In a 2019 report, TWZ highlighted concerns that Ford class carriers would not be ready to operate the F-35C for years.
USS Gerald R. Ford was designed and built before the F-35C’s full carrier-integration requirements were sufficiently mature, so the Navy deferred several upgrades to a later modernization period rather than delaying the ship’s delivery. Following congressional pressure, the Navy adopted a single-phase delivery approach for USS John F. Kennedy, incorporating these modifications during construction instead.
The USS Gerald R. Ford completed its Aircraft Compatibility Testing in January 2020, following 16 days at sea, during which the crew launched and recovered 211 aircraft, testing five different airframes — but the F-35C was not included.
Beyond EMALS and AAG, integrating the F-35C on Kennedy requires modifications to the carrier’s maintenance infrastructure and support systems. These include specialized spaces for handling the aircraft’s sensitive mission systems and classified data, computer networks and interfaces linking its maintenance and logistics systems with the Navy’s existing infrastructure, and facilities and equipment to support the upkeep of its low-observable coatings and materials. The Navy has also identified the need for more robust jet blast deflectors (JBDs), which protect flight-deck personnel and equipment from the F-35C’s intense engine exhaust.
Earlier F-35C integration work aboard Nimitz class carriers included JBD modifications to improve heat resistance and cooling, while planning for John F. Kennedy explicitly included both JBD upgrades and changes to maintenance spaces and information systems.
The latest test represents progress toward resolving the compatibility question, although the full scope of the remaining work will depend on the results of the ongoing evaluation.
The development also comes as China advances its own carrier aviation capabilities. Unlike the U.S. Navy, its Fujian aircraft carrier has demonstrated electromagnetic catapult launches and arrested recoveries involving several aircraft types, including the J-35 stealth fighter.
In contrast to the U.S. Navy, which accumulated decades of experience with steam-powered catapults before adopting electromagnetic launch technology, China chose electromagnetic catapults for its first catapult-equipped carrier.
Although China’s demonstrations aboard Fujian and the F-35C compatibility testing aboard Kennedy involve different aircraft, ships, and stages of development, both underscore the technical demands of integrating advanced aircraft with modern carrier launch and recovery systems.
For the U.S. Navy, the immediate priority is to demonstrate that the Ford class can reliably support its intended aircraft. The F-35C’s first arrested landing aboard Kennedy is a significant step in that process, with further testing — not least an EMALS takeoff — needed before the milestone can begin to translate into an operational capability.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
OpenAI says it discovered a hidden recording device in one of its offices, wrapped in toilet paper and tucked behind a television. The company says it used its AI models to help trace the device to a Saudi engineer who allegedly planted it. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reports from Washington DC.
Published On 14 Oct 202614 Oct 2026
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Warsaw says the 2 suspects held in Germany will face sabotage charges.
Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026
Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany over a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland that Warsaw has branded an act of sabotage carried out on Russia’s behalf.
Polish officials announced the arrests on Monday, one month after the fire, which they say was aimed at disrupting internet services, including for Ukraine’s military. The fire, in Masovia in Eastern Poland, engulfed the Starlink station’s power system and backup generator.
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Polish Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwinski said the two men would face charges in Poland of carrying out sabotage on the instructions of a foreign intelligence agency. German police made the arrests on behalf of Polish services, according to Deutsche Welle. Polish officials did not say where or when in Germany the men were detained.
“We have no doubt that Russian services are behind this act of sabotage,” Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said in a news conference. “It is worth adding that Russian services are increasingly turning to individuals linked to the criminal underworld,” he said.
The case is the latest in a string of incidents that officials across the European Union deem to be part of a Russian campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks aimed at eroding support for Ukraine.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Moscow has previously dismissed similar accusations as baseless and the product of anti-Russian hysteria.
Ukraine’s military relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and occasional drone operations. Starlink founder Elon Musk activated the service over Ukraine in 2022, days after Russia’s full-scale invasion, following a plea from Kyiv. Poland has said it pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription.
Musk has since clashed with Ukrainian officials over his views on the war. This year, he also agreed to switch off thousands of Russian “grey-market” Starlink terminals in Ukraine, causing problems for Russian forces. Ukraine is now seeking to use the terminals for attacks on Russian territory.
Selma Blair allegedly had a violent episode aboard a Delta Airlines flight.
The “Cruel Intentions” star was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation on Sunday night after allegedly becoming physically abusive with the flight staff, according to the New York Port Authority. The Port Authority Police Department responded to a call around 11 p.m., when a flight coming from Los Angeles International Airport landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and two flight attendants needed medical assistance after an alleged altercation while in flight. One flight attendant was also transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
The FBI is investigating the incident.
According to representatives for Blair, “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”
In dispatch audio, obtained by TMZ, a flight attendant suffered a bloody nose and Blair is alleged to have “bashed her head” against an overhead compartment.
A spokesperson for Delta told The Times in an emailed statement, “Delta has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first.”
In 2016, Blair was hospitalized after an incident on a flight to Los Angeles International Airport from Cancun, Mexico. She subsequently apologized for the behavior, saying in a statement, “I made a big mistake yesterday. After a lovely trip with my son and his Dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret.”
The FBI could not immediately be reached for comment.
This story is developing.
SELMA Blair has been arrested after allegedly attacking multiple flight attendants while trying to open a plane’s door mid-flight.
The actress reportedly started mass chaos on a Delta Airlines flight traveling to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday.
Selma attempted to open the aircraft door while it was in the air and assaulted several crew members who tried to stop her, according to TMZ who first reported the news.
“Two flight attendants from the airline were injured to the point where they needed further medical care due to an attack from a passenger,” the New York Port Authority confirmed in a statement to The U.S. Sun, though they didn’t mention the Legally Blonde star by name.
“The person who caused these injuries also repeatedly tried to open the plane door. She was arrested immediately upon landing, and the incident is currently being investigated by federal law enforcement,” they added.
A rep for Selma further told TMZ, “Selma experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. Upon landing, she received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.”
It’s unknown what caused Selma’s behavior, but it’s sadly not the first time this happened.
In 2016, the Cruel Intentions star was removed from a flight on a stretcher after having a meltdown in the sky.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
A court in Indian capital Delhi has released the top leaders of the Gen Z-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as the city sees more protests for a second day with thousands of security personnel deployed and roads barricaded.
Abhijeet Dipke – who began the movement in May after India’s Chief Justice likened some jobless young people to “cockroaches” – and other leaders were arrested on arrival in Delhi on Saturday to lead protests seeking electoral reforms.
In his first comments after his release, Dipke said “the CJP will neither back down nor be intimidated”.
On Saturday, media reports said, 7,000 demonstrators were detained and released late at night.
The CJP – which is not registered as a political party in India – is seeking electoral reforms just months before crucial state elections.
It has also demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulating voters’ lists – which the Election Commission has denied.
On Sunday morning, the CJP lawyer Ratna Singh said she had been informed by the police that Dipke and two other senior CJP leaders – Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka – would be produced before the magistrate by the police seeking their remand “to maintain public peace”.
She subsequently posted on X that the three had been set free by the court “on the condition that they will not engage in breach of peace for one year” – she later deleted the post about the condition and it’s not clear what that means and whether the CJP leaders can take part in protests.
After his release, Dipke posted on X, external, saying: “Modi, as PM, is an embarrassment to India.”
In another post, external, he said he was going to his village to attend his grandmother’s funeral who died around the time of his arrest yesterday.
“Heading back to my village to be with my family during this moment of grief,” he posted, adding that Das and Ranka would address a press conference in Delhi.
“The CJP will neither back down nor be intimidated,” he added.
Saturday saw dramatic scenes as police officials boarded the flight to detain Dipke, Das and Ranka as their plane landed.
Protesting students demand accessible education in French-speaking areas of the country.
Published On 7 Oct 20267 Oct 2026
Police in Belgium have detained more than 100 people after demonstrations in the city of Liege against the rising cost of education turned violent in some places, as similar protests grip neighbouring France.
Students rallied in the city on Tuesday and Wednesday against overcrowded classrooms and difficulty accessing resources in Belgium’s French-language education system.
Eighty people were detained during the protests, and 27 were formally arrested, the Belga news agency reported, citing the Liege police.
Some protesters damaged property and set fires, the police added.
Attendees insisted that shortcomings in the education system gave them no choice but to take to the streets.
“When we saw nothing was changing without protests, we decided we would start,” said Amelia Di Salve, a 19-year-old studying to become a teacher, who added that protests in “France did influence us a little”.
“We support each other because we’re facing pretty much the same issues,” Alfred, another 19-year-old student, told the Reuters news agency.
‘Peaceful way’
Authorities were attempting to defuse tensions and head off further unrest.
“Dialogue can be established,” Willy Demeyer, the mayor of the city of Liege, told Belgian broadcaster RTBF, adding that he hoped “young people can express their grievances in a peaceful way and if possible have those concerns heard”.
In Belgium, education is managed independently by the country’s linguistic communities, and there is no single national curriculum.
Instead, the Flemish population regulates education in Belgium’s Dutch-speaking Flanders region while French-speaking Wallonia oversees its own curriculum.
Parents can decide where to enrol children in the bilingual capital Brussels.
The protests in Liege follow sporadic violent demonstrations over the summer in Brussels against an increase in tuition fees for students in French-speaking areas from 835 euros ($930) to 1,194 euros ($1,340).
Belgium’s education budget has been under pressure as a result of a cost-of-living crisis and the spiralling cost of energy, issues that are helping fuel student protests in France as well.
August Hanning’s former chief of staff was also arrested on suspicion of ‘aiding and abetting attempted treason’.
Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026
Germany’s former foreign spy chief has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and treason, prosecutors have said.
August Hanning, 80, is under investigation for attempted treason and acting as an agent for a foreign intelligence service, the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General confirmed on Tuesday.
Hanning was president of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service between 1998 and 2005.
He was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany. His former chief of staff, partially identified as Manfred D, was arrested in Steinfurt in western Germany on suspicion of “aiding and abetting attempted treason and treasonous espionage”.
The prosecutor’s office said, “On one occasion, Hanning used classified intelligence provided by Manfred D to draft an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service.”
Prosecutors said Manfred D also served as the chief of staff for Hanning’s successors between 2012 and 2026, and used his role to gain access to confidential information which he then passed on to Hanning “in exchange for remuneration”. Hanning then used the information in his private consulting work, prosecutors added.
“The current findings suggest that, over the years, Manfred D provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, many of which contained classified information to be used exclusively by the federal intelligence service for internal purposes, particularly for executive intelligence briefings,” the statement said.
The statement did not reveal who the two men were suspected of spying for or which country the foreign agent worked for, adding that “it has yet to be determined if the material reached the intended recipient”.
German MP Marc Henrichmann told the AFP news agency that Germany “will not tolerate the betrayal of secrets”.
Henrichmann, who chairs the German parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, said, “Whoever allies themselves with the enemies of our liberal democracy will be found out.”
The premises of Manfred D and Hanning were being searched in several locations, including in the capital, Berlin.
The 20-year-old soldier denies the charge as protests held on Okinawa and in Tokyo.
Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026
Japan’s prime minister says the killing of a woman, allegedly by a US Marine stationed in Okinawa, is a “heinous crime”, and she has called on the United States to “thoroughly enforce discipline” amid growing outrage in Japan.
Sanae Takaichi told lawmakers on Monday that the government has urged the US to provide “full cooperation with the investigation” and called for “strict discipline among US military personnel”.
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About 54,000 US military personnel, including 18,000 Marines, are stationed in Japan. The majority of these forces are based in Okinawa, a Japanese island that came under US administrative control at the end of World War II and was returned to Japan in 1972.
Crimes including rapes, assaults, hit-and-run and drink-driving incidents by US personnel have long sparked protests on the island.
The new case involves a 20-year-old Marine who was arrested on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old woman at a hotel in the city of Naha and stealing her wallet, police said on Sunday.
The Kyodo News agency, quoting police, reported that the woman’s body was found in a hotel room and she appeared to have been strangled.
The Marine was arrested by Japanese police on Sunday and sent to prosecutors on Monday, according to Kyodo News. He has denied the charges.
“The occurrence of such a heinous crime is extremely regrettable,” Takaichi said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Monday that Tokyo will “continue to urge the US side to thoroughly enforce discipline” among its soldiers in Japan.
Kihara, who is in charge of mitigating the impact of US forces in Okinawa, said Tokyo has protested to the US at “various levels”.
The incident has caused outrage across Japan, and the Japanese Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence have summoned the US ambassador and the commander of US forces in Japan.
According to Jiji Press, about 100 people held protests outside the Okinawa prefectural government building on Sunday and shouted: “How much longer do we have to bear all of this?”
Another 100 people participated in a rally in Naha on Sunday, Japanese media reported.
Okinawa native Sorane Sakihama, 24, who organised a similar rally in Tokyo on Sunday, said she cried upon learning about the woman’s death.
“We couldn’t protect her. That made me so angry and sad,” the university student told the AFP news agency, adding that she was planning to organise another protest in front of the US embassy on Tuesday evening.
“I want to ask them: What are these soldiers stationed here for? They might say they are here to protect lives or boost security. But how can they say that when a life was taken by one of their own?”
Since Okinawa was returned to Japan, about 6,000 US military personnel have been arrested in Japan, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
‘I’ve been trying to get arrested for quite some time.’ 94-year-old Jewish human rights barrister Margaret Owen was detained at a pro-Palestine rally in Liverpool after displaying support for Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.
Published On 1 Oct 20261 Oct 2026
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COPS have threatened to force arrested criminals to listen to Taylor Swift’s new release on loop.
Greensboro Police in North Carolina, US, jokingly swiped at the superstar’s album after it received mixed reviews.
They posted: “Those who are arrested tonight will be required to listen to Taylor Swift’s new songs on repeat.”
But following a huge online backlash, the force later wrote: “We apologise for stirring up the Taylor bots.
“Please continue to listen to The Life of a Showgirl.”
But the post remains up on X with more than 80,000 likes.
READ MORE ON TAYLOR SWIFT
Cruel Summer singer Swift, 36, re-released her Life of a Showgirl album with four new songs last week, adding “The Encore” to the title.
But critics were not impressed.
Music magazine Pitchfork rated it 4/10, saying: “Taylor Swift has let the quality of her songwriting slide in favour of commercial domination.”
Critic Shaad D’Souza added: “Yes, Taylor Swift will always have one of the greatest songwriting catalogues of all time.
“Not even Taylor Swift could take that away from her — but she sure is trying.”
The album came out in 2025 as the first release since the end of her record-breaking Eras Tour, but failed to win acclaim.
Swift previously said she did not intend to add new tracks, but later admitted she went on a trip with her collaborators and “did what we do when we feel anything: we wrote more songs”.
One of five men arrested near RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning had dialled 999 himself, the BBC understands.
The suspect called the police at 00:45 BST, almost an hour before a female farmer also dialled 999 after seeing men in balaclavas.
The five were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later terrorism offences after three vans were spotted, sparking a major security incident around the Gloucestershire base which the US military operates.
They were released on bail on Monday in what police described as an “investigative decision” “grounded in experience and strategy”.
Police say a quantity of petrol but no explosive devices were found during searches of the vans.
Police were alerted to “three suspicious vehicles” in Whelford, a village which lies directly east of the base, by the farmer.
She told the BBC it was “pure luck” she had spotted them, having arrived home to find the road blocked and a “large group of hooded and masked men”.
“I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had,” she said.
A bomb disposal team arrived on scene shortly afterwards and a 400m (1,312ft) cordon was put in place.
But Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters on Tuesday that the police response that morning had been due to “a range of information”.
Police cordons near the base are expected to be completely lifted on Wednesday, while residents from the 85 homes evacuated on Sunday have been allowed to return to their properties.
The five men are all UK nationals aged between 23 and 25. Four of them live in Westminster and one in Camden, and searches of their homes are now complete.
Taylor previously said their bail was “subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others” as they remained under investigation.
“The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision-making, and this was certainly the case yesterday,” he said on Tuesday.
“I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision and one which is grounded in experience and strategy.”
The RAF base has been used as a forward operating location by the US Air Force for decades.
In recent months, US bombers have taken off from the base for the Middle East, after the UK approved a US request to use it for defensive strikes on Iran.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday told journalists he was “disappointed” the five men had been released on bail.
Two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith has been arrested in Texas on family violence charges.
The former Laker is being held on suspicion of family violence assault causing bodily injury, with no bond currently set, according to the Hunt County jail’s booking records. The charge is usually a misdemeanor for first-time offenders.
According to a news release from Royse City police chief Kirk Aldridge, officers stopped Smith, whose full name is Earl Joseph Smith III, on Interstate 30 on Monday afternoon after receiving an automatic license plate alert about an outstanding warrant for his arrest issued by the Southlake Police Department..
The officers stopped the vehicle, identified Smith and took him into custody. He was transported to the Hunt County dentention center and booked on the Southlake warrant. Smith’s car was released to his brother, who was with him at the time.
Southlake police said in a statement that the investigation is ongoing and no additional information will be released at this time.
Smith played for five teams during his 16-year NBA career. He was named the league’s sixth man of the year in 2013 as a member of the New York Knicks and was a member of the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers that won the 2016 NBA championship.
After signing with the Lakers while the league was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic in July 2020, Smith played sparingly after the season resumed in a bubble environment in Orlando, eventually winning another NBA championship with James as his teammate. His last NBA appearance was in Game 3 of the 2020 finals, a 115-104 Lakers loss to the Miami Heat.
In 2009, Smith was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 60 days suspended, and 500 hours of community service for reckless driving after he caused a 2007 auto accident in Millstone, N.J., that resulted in the death of a friend who was a passenger in the vehicle.
Demonstrators protest against UK government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026
Police in the United Kingdom have arrested more than 50 people protesting in support of the banned Palestine Action group outside a Labour Party conference in the northwestern English city of Liverpool.
The local Merseyside Police confirmed the arrests in a statement published on Sunday.
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The police said those taken into custody at the protest, organised by Defend Our Juries, had displayed material in support of Palestine Action, proscribed as a “terrorist” group by the Labour government in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act.
According to the statement, police respected the rights of people to protest lawfully while aiming to keep the peace and ensure the public are safe.
![A policeman speaks to a supporter of the proscribed group Palestine Action as they gather to protest outside the conference venue on the first day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, north-west England on September 27, 2026 [Oli Scarff/AFP]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AFP__20260927__C9GU2MN__v1__HighRes__BritainPoliticsLabourConferencePalestineConflic-1790556936.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
More than 250 protesters sat outside the conference centre holding banners with words supporting the group on Sunday, before dozens of police began making arrests.
English band Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja was among those arrested.
After asking demonstrators if they were going to continue holding up the signs, officers led people away, telling them they had been arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Reporting from Liverpool, Al Jazeera correspondent Milena Veselinovic said the protesters wanted to put proscription “front and centre of the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s agenda” on the first day of his party’s annual conference.
“Being arrested is nothing in comparison to what the people in Gaza are going through, and it’s also worth it, because this is about our right to free speech,” one protester told Al Jazeera.
Another said that “there are priests, there are healthcare workers, there are people who deeply care, and deeply care about right and wrong.”
Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said protesting “is one of the most effective tools” to make government leaders listen and described the arrests as “a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech”.
“The new prime minister can reform our laws so that communities are protected in coming together and demonstrating on the issues they care about. Will he do so?” she said.
Activists also confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband inside a restaurant in Liverpool, demanding that he lift the ban on the group and declare Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The activists left after Miliband reportedly refused to comment.
A civil disobedience campaign has emerged since Palestine Action was outlawed in July 2025, with more than 3,600 people arrested for showing their support for the group, often while holding signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
The UK Supreme Court is now set to hear the case after London’s Court of Appeal upheld the government ban in June.
A local resident told the BBC she alerted the police to suspicious activity near the base early on Sunday.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said she initially called the Ministry of Defence (MoD) police but nobody answered, and then called 999. She said she had seen three parked vans and a group of men wearing masks.
The MoD declined to comment.
Several residents said they had been led from their homes in the early hours and evacuated to a leisure centre.
Julian Tudsbury said he was woken up at 07:00 by police banging on his door in Whelford, where 85 households were advised to evacuate.
“There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate,” he said.
He said another local had seen three vehicles making their way to the base and called the police “straight away”.
A singer from English band Massive Attack, Robert Del Naja, was arrested in Liverpool while protesting genocide in Gaza and denouncing the UK’s ban on Palestine Action. Demonstrators had gathered to demand the UK stops arming Israel ahead of the first Labour Party conference under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Published On 27 Sep 202627 Sep 2026
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