Three face court over alleged plan to make Palestine Action ban unworkable

Three people who appeared in court to deny terror offences are alleged to have tried to organise mass meetings with the aim of rendering the ban on the group Palestine Action unworkable.

The charges related to plans for meetings in London, Cardiff and Manchester which were allegedly organised over Zoom meetings in July, August and this month.

Former government lawyer Timothy Crosland, 55, from Southwark, south London, appeared in the glass dock, along with gardener Dawn Manners, 61, from Hackney, east London, and David Nixon, 39, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

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Terrorism Act

They are each accused of breaches of the Terrorism Act by addressing a meeting to encourage support for a proscribed organisation, and of assisting in arranging a meeting knowing the purpose was to support a proscribed organisation.

Emma Haraway, prosecuting, said the charges related to defendants using Zoom meetings to encourage people to attend mass gatherings in support of Palestine Action, which has been listed as a proscribed organisation, and thus overwhelm the police.

The defendants denied all the charges that they face and were granted conditional bail by District Judge John Zani.

They will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 26.

Three more defendants were due to be dealt with on Thursday afternoon.

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