A total of 20 more people have been notified of charges against them as officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command continue to investigate those arrested and suspected of showing support towards the proscribed group Palestine Action.
This brings the total number of people charged with an offence of showing support to Palestine Action in London to 134.
The latest group of 20 people to be charged were all previously arrested in the Capital on Saturday 9 August. The charges were authorised against them by the Crown Prosecution Service and all 20 people have been notified of these via postal charge requisition (PCRs). They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 24.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “For those people now charged, if convicted, they are facing potentially serious consequences that could impact on their careers and their ability to travel overseas.
“I would urge anyone considering committing a similar offence by coming out and showing support to Palestine Action to reconsider, otherwise you will very likely be arrested, investigated and, as these latest charges show, we are efficiently working with the CPS to bring about prosecutions.”
The consequences for those charged with offences under section 13 of the Terrorism Act (TACT) include:
A maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) will have a record of a person’s TACT conviction, and this will be seen by employers who use DBS to carry out checks on staff or new applicants. The existence of a TACT conviction may be seen by employers as grounds for a refusal to employ a person or to dismiss them.
Universities also carry out DBS checks, and may refuse entry to courses to those with terrorism convictions.
Any application to visit another country usually requires a declaration of criminal convictions. A TACT conviction will be a potential bar to entry to countries including the US, Australia, Japan, and from 2026 when the ETIAS system is introduced, countries of the European Union.
If a person is a member of a professional body, they may face disciplinary proceedings and potentially removal from the profession.
