Protesters will be treated as 'potential terrorists' (From Witney Gazette)

Protesters will be treated as 'potential terrorists'

9:00am Wednesday 5th April 2006 in Witney By Ruth Keeling

PROTESTERS who enter the RAF base in Brize Norton will be treated as 'potential terrorists', and could face up to 51 weeks in jail.

Anyone trespassing at RAF Brize Norton will be breaking a new law, which came into force on April 1.

The new offence, passed as part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, which set up a British 'FBI', applies to just 13 bases, which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said had been targeted by protesters.

Anti-war protesters have regularly held demonstrations at Brize Norton, which played a major role in the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

An MoD spokesman said it would apply 'within the outer perimeter of the site', an area which would be marked clearly with signs.

He added: "At each of the sites, there has been persistent activity by protesters, who, by actively trespassing, place themselves at risk of being mistaken as terrorists.

"It has always been difficult for security forces protecting MoD sites to determine the difference between trespasser and potential terrorist."

An MoD spokesman

"It has always been difficult for security forces protecting MoD sites to determine the difference between trespasser and potential terrorist.

"This judgement has to be made in a split second, and perhaps at times of limited visibility, this puts both the trespasser and member of the security force at risk."

As well as a jail sentence, protesters could be fined £5,000 for trespassing at any of the designated sites.