A further 120 people have been notified of charges against them as officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London continue to investigate those arrested for showing support towards the proscribed group Palestine Action.
This brings the total number of charges for this offence in London to 254 since July this year.
The latest group of people to be charged were all previously arrested in connection with a protest in Parliament Square on Saturday, 9 August. Following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, they have all been charged via postal requisition with an offence contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act, 2000. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on a series of dates from 24 November to 9 December.
The potential 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.
Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London continue to work through investigations relating to other people who were arrested in similar circumstances in central London during protest events in August, September and October.
The original announcement can be found here.
