Six people have been charged in Britain with offences linked to the banned group Palestine Action, prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the defendants, aged between 26 and 62, are accused of encouraging support for a proscribed terrorist organisation. The charges stem from their participation in 13 online meetings held to plan demonstrations earlier this summer.
All six have been remanded in custody and are expected to appear in court on Thursday. If convicted, they could face prison terms of up to 14 years.
Palestine Action was outlawed in July after members were accused of vandalising a Royal Air Force base. Since then, British police have made several arrests at protests linked to the group.
Despite the charges, activists from Defend Our Juries — the campaign group to which the defendants belong — said demonstrations would still go ahead this Saturday in London, Derry, and Edinburgh.
Acclaimed British filmmaker Ken Loach, who joined an online press conference hosted by the group, condemned the government’s stance. He described the ban on Palestine Action as “absurd” and accused ministers of complicity in what he called Israel’s “incredible crimes” in Gaza
