Six individuals in England have been charged with terrorism offenses in relation to organizing protests and holding Zoom conferences allegedly linked to banned group Palestine Action, police mentioned.
The alleged offenses relate to arranging public protests in assist of Palestine Action in London, Manchester and Cardiff, in addition to an indication deliberate for this Saturday in London.
The prices additionally cowl 13 Zoom conferences allegedly held between July and August in assist of the proscribed group.
The UK-based Palestine Action, which goals to disrupt the operations of weapons producers supplying the Israeli authorities, was proscribed in July, a month after two of its activists broke into Britain’s largest air base, and broken two navy plane.
The group’s ban makes it unlawful underneath UK regulation to be a member of – or invite assist for – Palestine Action and places them on par with terrorist organizations equivalent to Hamas, al Qaeda and ISIS. The ban has sparked widespread criticism, together with from the UN’s human rights chief.
All six individuals, aged between 26 and 62, had been charged on Wednesday as a part of an investigation led by the Counter Terrorism Command of London’s Metropolitain Police.
A seventh particular person was charged on Tuesday in a linked investigation by police in Scotland.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan mentioned the costs had been the result 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 six suspects on Tuesday. They had been remanded in custody and are due to seem in court docket on Thursday.
More than 700 individuals have been arrested and 114 charged by the Metropolitan Police in connection with this summer season’s demonstrations.
In July Palestine Action secured permission to contest its proscription with a High Court listening to set for November.
However, the decide refused to droop the present ban forward of the listening to.