Seven people charged with terrorism ahead of London demonstration for banned Palestine Action group
By Laura Sharman, CNN
(CNN) — Seven people in England and Scotland have been charged with terrorism offenses in relation to organizing protests and holding Zoom meetings allegedly linked to banned group Palestine Action, police said.
The alleged offenses relate to arranging public protests in support of Palestine Action in London, Manchester and Cardiff, as well as a demonstration planned for this Saturday in London.
The charges also cover 13 Zoom meetings allegedly held between July and August in support of the proscribed group.
Defend our Juries, a UK activist organization linked to Palestine Action, said the seven people who were charged were members of its group. It criticized the arrests and said they would not deter people from taking part in this weekend’s protest.
The UK-based Palestine Action, which aims to disrupt the operations of weapons manufacturers supplying the Israeli government, was proscribed in July, a month after two of its activists broke into Britain’s largest air base, and damaged two military aircraft.
The group’s ban makes it illegal under UK law to be a member of – or invite support for – Palestine Action and puts them on par with terrorist organizations such as Hamas, al Qaeda and ISIS.
The ban has sparked widespread criticism, including from the UN’s human rights chief. In July, the group secured permission to contest its proscription at a high court in November. The judge in that hearing said it was “reasonably arguable” that the ban had disproportionately interfered with the group’s right to freedom of expression, assembly and association under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
However, the judge refused to suspend the current ban ahead of the hearing.
Six people, aged between 26 and 62, were charged on Wednesday as part of an investigation led by the Counter Terrorism Command of London’s Metropolitan Police.
A seventh person was charged on Tuesday in a connected investigation by police in Scotland.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan said the charges were the outcome of “a proactive investigation into suspected activity linked to Palestine Action.”
“Palestine Action is clearly proscribed as a terrorist group, and those showing support for this particular group, or encouraging others to do so can expect to be arrested, investigated and prosecuted,” DCS Flanagan added.
Police arrested the seven suspects on Tuesday ahead of a scheduled press conference Wednesday. They were remanded in custody and were due to appear in court on Thursday.
More than 700 people have been arrested and 114 charged by the Metropolitan Police in connection with this summer’s demonstrations, with over 500 people arrested during a singular demonstration in August.
Social media videos from the demonstration show police arresting elderly and disabled protesters, some of whom were carried away by officers following their arrest for holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
This story has been updated.
CNN’s Kara Fox contributed reporting.
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