UK charges three for backing banned Palestine Action group

British police say they charged three people in England and Wales with supporting activist group Palestine Action after it was banned under anti-terrorism laws.

Two women and a man were charged under Britain’s Terrorism Act of 2000 following their arrest at a protest in central London on July 5, the capital’s Metropolitan Police force says. They are the first to be charged in England and Wales since the ban took effect.

A spokesperson for the force said there had already been seven charges in Scotland, which has a separate legal system.

The announcement comes ahead of a planned protest in support of the group outside the UK parliament on Saturday, with organizers saying more than 500 people are expected to attend.

“I would strongly advise anyone planning to come to London this weekend to show support for Palestine Action to think about the potential criminal consequences of their actions,” Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s counter terror department, says.

Jeremy Shippam and Judit Murray, both 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on September 16, the Met says.

Murphy says more people arrested at the July 5 demonstration face charges.

Being a member or supporting the group is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.