London police charge 67 people over support for banned group ‘Palestine Action’

London police announced on Tuesday that 67 people have been charged with showing support for the banned group Palestine Action, which the UK government designated as a terrorist organization in July.

The Metropolitan Police said the defendants will appear in court on various dates in October and could face a maximum sentence of six months in prison if convicted.

The British government outlawed Palestine Action just days after activists from the group sprayed paint on two aircraft at a Royal Air Force base. The ban has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who condemned it as an overreach of the law and a threat to freedom of expression.

According to Agence France-Presse, more than 700 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act since the ban came into effect, most of them during demonstrations.

In its statement, London police said that 64 people were charged in connection with protests held in central London on two occasions last month, while three others had already been charged earlier in August.