Dozens of Palestine Action supporters appear in London court on terror charges

A group of people accused of showing support for Palestine Action, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, has appeared in court in London.

Twenty-eight appeared on Monday while the rest of the 47 arrested at a protest in central London in July appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Each is accused of an offence under section 13 of the Terrorism Act. It is alleged they showed support for a banned group by holding a placard saying ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’.

All who appeared on Monday pleaded not guilty and will face trial at Stratford Magistrates' Court, East London, in May. They face a maximum sentence of six months in prison if found guilty.

The accused were brought into the court in groups of four or five in front of a magistrate to have the charges read to them and to enter their pleas. One woman told the court: “I’m not a terrorist, not guilty.”

Palestine Action’s co-founder Huda Ammori is currently mounting a legal challenge against the British government over the terror designation.

The ban, which began on July 5, made membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

On October 17, the Court of Appeal dismissed a Home Office challenge to an earlier decision by a lower court to allow Palestine Action’s case to be heard.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested since Palestine Action was proscribed, campaign group Defend Our Juries says.

The ban was announced by former home secretary Yvette Cooper after members of the group damaged two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June.

Police said about £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of damage was caused. The group claimed the planes had been involved in supporting Israel's military action in Gaza via the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus.

The group will remain a proscribed terrorist organisation while Ms Ammori's legal challenge takes place.