The Court of Appeal has ruled that the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation is lawful, overturning a High Court decision from February. The ruling means that over 700 people charged under the Terrorism Act for supporting the group could now face prosecution. The ban has led to more than 3,000 arrests since its imposition.
Deborah Hinton, an 82-year-old former magistrate from Truro, Cornwall, who has been charged, described the judgment as 'devastating and shocking'. She expressed fear of a potential prison sentence but said she felt compelled to act, stating, 'We are heading towards an authoritarian state, and as I saw it, it was my duty to take a stand.'
Marianne Sorrell, 81, from Wells, Somerset, who was held by police for nearly 27 hours after her arrest, called the ruling a 'travesty of justice'. She indicated she might get arrested again in protest. Both women also criticised the lengthy custodial sentences handed to four Palestine Action activists who damaged equipment at an Israeli arms factory, with Hinton calling the sentences 'completely out of all proportion'.
Father John McGowan, 75, arrested at a demonstration in Parliament Square, said he was 'angry and disappointed' but at peace with his actions, adding he was prepared to go to prison. The Lady Chief Justice, Sue Carr, stated that the objectives of protecting national security outweighed the rights to freedom of expression and assembly in this case.
Human rights groups have renewed criticism of the ban. Tom Southerden of Amnesty International said it was 'a grave misuse of sweeping counter-terrorism powers' and 'fundamentally disproportionate to treat direct action protest as terrorism'. He described the arrests of peaceful protesters as 'a deeply shameful chapter in our history'.
