London’s Metropolitan Police announced Monday that 47 additional individuals have been charged with supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action, bringing the total number of accused activists to 114, AFP reported.
The defendants, aged 18 to 81, are scheduled to appear in court on October 27 and 28. If convicted, they face up to six months in prison.
The UK government designated Palestine Action a terrorist organization in July.
Palestine Action, known for its acts of vandalism and disruptive protests, was officially proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 after an incident at a Royal Air Force base, where activists from the group breached the base and defaced two aircraft with red paint, resulting in an estimated £7 million in damages.
Since the group’s proscription, over 700 people have been arrested - most during demonstrations. Of those, 114 have now been formally charged.
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper defended the ban, stating the group has a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage” and emphasizing that “many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation,” adding it “is not non-violent.”
Founded in 2020, Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action” network opposing what it calls British “complicity” with Israel, particularly in relation to arms sales.
The group also previously defaced a painting of Lord Balfour at Trinity College Cambridge, spraying the portrait with red paint and slashing it.
In another incident, Palestine Action members stole two busts of Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmann, from a glass cabinet at Manchester University.