Dozens of people have been charged for support of the anti-Israel vandal group Palestine Action, in a continued crackdown since the organization was proscribed as a terrorist organization on July 5, the UK’s Metropolitan Police (Met) announced on Monday.
Forty-seven people were charged with the offense of showing support for Palestine Action after having been arrested in London during a July 19 pro-Palestinian rally.
Further, it was announced last Tuesday that another 64 people were facing the same charge for a protest on the day that Palestine Action was proscribed. Three people were charged on August 7 for their involvement in the July 5 protest.
The decision to designate the group a terrorist organization followed its long campaign of political vandalism that culminated in the damaging of aircraft at the Royal Air Force's RAF Brize Norton base.
With the latest cohort, a total of 114 people have been charged with offences under the Terrorism Act, which could see them facing a maximum sentence of six months in jail and could bar them from visiting countries such as the US and Australia.
In total, over 700 people have been arrested for supporting Palestine Action since the group was proscribed, with 521 being arrested on August 9 for displaying placards supporting the organized political vandalism group.
The Met Counter Terrorism Command operations head, Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan, said that law enforcement was working quickly to investigate all those who were arrested.
Palestine Action responsible for attacks on universities, businesses, banks
“We fully recognize people’s right to demonstrate peacefully, and thousands continue to protest in support of Palestine without breaking counterterrorism laws. I would therefore urge anyone considering coming out and showing support to Palestine Action to reconsider; otherwise, you will very likely be arrested, investigated, and we’ll work with the CPS to bring about prosecutions,” said Flanagan.
“For those people now charged, if convicted, they are facing potentially serious consequences that could impact their careers and their ability to travel overseas.”
Palestine Action has been responsible for dozens of attacks on universities, businesses, and banks since it was founded in 2020. While the group has targeted those affiliated with Israel, smashing windows, throwing paint on facades, and damaging equipment, it has held special ire for Elbit Systems.
One of the incidents that pushed the Government of the United Kingdom to proscribe Palestine Action was the August 2024 attack on Elbit UK’s South Gloucestershire Horizon facility, in which police officers and staff were wounded by activists from the group armed with sledgehammers and other weapons.