Summary
- Pro-Palestine protesters demonstrate outside RAF
airbase.
- Chanted “RAF, shame on you” slogans.
- Called for arms embargo against Israel.
- Protest highlights military support concerns.
- Demand immediate halt to arms sales.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign organized a demonstration at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire on Saturday, which drew hundreds of participants.
The demonstration, according to the group,
demonstrated "the strength of the public demand for an arms embargo"
and was a part of their summer of action for Gaza.
Citing the deaths of more than 61,000
Palestinians and more than 600 RAF spy flights connected to the conflict, the demonstration was a part of a broader
campaign calling for an end to Britain's military cooperation with
Israel.
Signs and posters denouncing the UK's role and
calling on the government to stop exporting weapons to support Israeli military
operations were carried by protesters.
RAF facilities in the UK have been the focus of
high-profile protests and acts of civil disobedience by organizations like
Palestine Action because of their role in facilitating armament shipments to
Israel. This rally comes after those actions.
The incident attracted a lot of attention and
demonstrated the public's rising disapproval of Britain's military alliance
with Israel in light of the ongoing war in Gaza.
Thames Valley Police said:
"We will work with the organisers, partners and the public to facilitate peaceful protest, balancing the rights of all and to keep our communities safe."
Headquarters Air Command is located at RAF High Wycombe, which was first planned in 1930 to host RAF Bomber Command.
What was the significance of the chant "RAF, shame on you" in the protest context?
Protesters blamed the RAF for supporting or
enabling Israeli military operations, highlighting that RAF bases and aircraft
are involved in intelligence gathering and logistical support for Israeli
airstrikes in Gaza. The chant was a way to hold the RAF publicly accountable
for what activists see as its role in the conflict.
RAF High Wycombe is the headquarters of the
RAF’s Air Command and a key site in the UK’s military infrastructure. By
targeting this location and chanting “shame on you,” protesters symbolically
condemned broader UK government military cooperation with Israel.
The use of “shame” expressed moral outrage and
demanded recognition of the human cost of the Gaza conflict, with activists
emphasizing civilian casualties, including children, attributed to operations
supported by the RAF.