UK: Protesters supporting Palestine Action face no charges

None of the 200 people arrested in the UK for supporting Palestine Action have faced charges according to campaigners, despite the pro-Palestine group being classified as a terrorist organisation, as reported by The National on August 6th.

Palestine Action, a direct action protest group, received a terrorist designation in July after it claimed responsibility for damaging two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, causing £7 million in damage.

The High Court will review the move in November. Until then, supporting or joining the group remains a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, carrying a sentence of up to 14 years, raising serious concerns about freedom to protest and freedom of speech within the UK.

Tim Crosland of Defend Our Juries believes fears of future legal claims may explain the lack of prosecutions. “Nobody has been charged. It’s important to say, and there’s a sense that there aren’t going to be any charges till the other side of the judicial review,” he said.

Crosland and Huda Ammori, the group’s co-founder, have received legal advice indicating that, should the ban be overturned, those arrested could sue the police for unlawful arrest and property trespass. “The answer to that was yes,” Crosland said.

Ammori, who is of Palestinian and Iraqi heritage, remains hopeful the court will strike down the proscription. “Obviously there is a substantial risk, but you know, we do hope to be successful in this legal challenge,” she said.

Campaigners such as Angie Zelter and elderly arrestees, including 83-year-old priest, Sue Parfitt, argue the terrorism label undermines Britain’s tradition of direct action. “There’s a lot of discomfort amongst the police, because they are making a mockery of the definition of terrorism,” Zelter said.

Crosland cited contrasting police responses across the UK, noting that some forces acted with restraint, while others used terrorism powers aggressively.

The National, Maghrebi.org