Hackney woman amongst three charged with showing support for Palestine Action

Westminster Magistrates’ Court

A Hackney woman is one of a trio of people who have been charged with showing support for the proscribed terrorist group, Palestine Action.

Fiona Maclean, 53, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 16 September.

The other defendants are 71-year-olds Judit Murray from Surrey, and Jeremy Shippam from West Sussex.

They are each charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action, contrary to section 13 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Anyone who displays public support for Palestine Action, a proscribed organisation, is committing an offence under the Terrorism Act and can expect to be arrested and, as these charges show, will be investigated to the full extent of the law.

“These charges relate to three people arrested in central London on 5 July. We are also planning to send case files to the Crown Prosecution Service for the other 26 people arrested on the same day.

“I would strongly advise anyone planning to come to London this weekend to show support for Palestine Action to think about the potential criminal consequences of their actions.”

A protest in support of the group is planned for Saturday afternoon in Parliament Square.

The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, proscribed Palestine Action last month.

Ms Cooper has previously published a book, She Speaks: Women’s Speeches That Changed the World, from Pankhurst to Thunberg.