First people charged with supporting Palestine Action plead not guilty

The first people charged with supporting Palestine Action after it was banned as a terror group, including two in their 70s, have pleaded not guilty.

Two women and a man were arrested after a protest in Parliament Square, Westminster, on July 5.

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”.

Maclean, who was wearing earrings decorated with watermelons, and the other defendants, spoke to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

The plea hearing was briefly delayed to look for a hearing loop for some of the defendants.

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.

Mr Goldspring told the defendants: “This will take place on March 16, 17, and 18 so I’m going to release each of you on bail until March 16 when you have an obligation to attend this court.

“Between now and then you are on unconditional bail.”

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.

In a statement issued after the plea hearing by Defend Our Juries, Maclean said: “We are living in a country which is complicit in war crimes and genocide, providing military assistance to Israel while they deliberately starve the Gazan population.

“Those directly acting to stop the vicious terror unleashed on Palestinian children have been proscribed as terrorists by the British Government.

“This criminalisation of opposition creates a climate of fear to allow Britain’s participation in the genocide to continue unhindered. It is the British Government politicians who should be facing trial for crimes against humanity.

“I will not be silenced, I urgently demand that my Government cease and desist and place sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide.”

Supporters of the defendants gathered outside the court before the hearing, some carrying Palestine flags and holding placards.

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.

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.

Ms 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.