THE first three people charged with allegedly showing support for Palestine Action, a group proscribed as terrorists by the Labour Government, have pleaded not guilty.
Jeremy Shippam, 72, of Yapton, West Sussex, Judit Murray, 71, of West Ewell, Surrey, and Fiona Maclean, 53, of Hackney, north-east London, are charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation, under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The group entered the not guilty pleas at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that they allegedly held placards reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
The group were released on unconditional bail by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 16 for a trial which is listed for three days.
The case will also be listed for a review and case management hearing, without the defendants being obliged to attend, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 9.
Supporters of the defendants gathered outside the court before the hearing, some carrying Palestine flags and holding placards.
According to Amnesty International, more than 1500 people have been arrested under terrorism legislation since Palestine Action was proscribed by Labour on July 5, a move which sparked a warning from the UN human rights chief.
Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International’s director of campaigns and communications, said that the activists “should never” be facing terror charges.
“Criminalising protest speech is only permitted under the UK’s international human rights obligations when it incites violence, hatred or discrimination,” she said. “Peacefully expressing support for Palestine Action clearly does not meet this threshold.
“Hundreds of peaceful protesters have been arrested under this overly-broad and misused legislation. Today’s hearing has been the first time any of these cases have been heard in court.
“It is absurd and wrong for all these individuals to be hauled through the court system and treated as ‘terrorists’.
“Prosecutors must drop the charges against these three individuals and take no further action against all the other peaceful protesters who have been wrongly arrested. All charges must be dropped and the arrests must stop.”
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group claimed responsibility for an action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.
However, internal UK Government documents have cast doubt on Labour ministers’ claims that the group meets the threshold to be deemed a terror organisation.
The Home Office is to appeal against a High Court ruling allowing Palestine Action’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, to proceed with a legal challenge against the Government over the ban.
Ammori took legal action against the department over then-home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws, which made membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
There have been multiple protests since July, with one on September 6 in London seeing almost 900 people arrested.
