A Sussex pensioner was on of the first three people in court after being charged with supporting Palestine Action, which has been proscribed under the Terrorism Act.
Jeremy Shippam, 72, of Yapton, was arrested in Parliament Square, Westminster, on Saturday 5 July and appeared before the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday 16 September).
Shippam appeared alongside Judit Murray, 71, of West Ewell, Surrey, and Fiona Maclean, 53, of Hackney, in London.
They were charged with displaying an article in public, giving rise to a reasonable suspicion that they were supporters of a proscribed organisation under section 13(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The court was told that they held placards saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after it claimed responsibility for damage to two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton on Friday 20 June.
They were among 29 people arrested at the July protest and hundreds more have been arrested since.
All three entered a plea of not guilty and were given a trial date in March next year.
Mr Goldspring told them that they would be tried at the same court over three days from Monday 16 March to Wednesday 18 March.
The case is due to be listed for a review and case management hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 9 October when the defendants will not be required to attend.
They were remanded on unconditional bail.
Outside the court, a group of people supporting the three defendants held placards and Palestinian flags before the case was called on.
