Richard Barnard, Palestine Action co-founder, is due for his first court appearance (a plea hearing) at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 18 September from 10am for three charges relating to two speeches.
Palestine Action in court
Cops first arrested Barnard for the accusations he has been charged on 9 November 2023.
This was four days before he was due to begin trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court as part of Palestine Action’s ‘Elbit Eight’. During that trial, the state accused him of several offences. The court acquitted him of three of them, including a charge of encouraging criminal damage.
Authorities previously stopped him under Schedule 7 counter-terrorism powers in November 2020 alongside fellow activist Huda Ammori.
Palestine Action co-founder Barnard’s charges this time were authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson. They are as follows:
- On 8 October 2023 Richard Loxton Barnard did an act capable of encouraging the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage, and intended to encourage its commission contrary to section 44 Serious Crime Act 2007.
- On 8 October 2023, Richard Loxton Barnard expressed an opinion or belief that was supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Hamas, being reckless as to whether it encouraged support of that organisation contrary to section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- On 11 October 2023 Richard Loxton Barnard did an act capable of encouraging the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage, and intended to encourage its commission contrary to section 44 Serious Crime Act 2007.
His charges relate to speeches during a Manchester protest on 8 October and in Bradford on 11 October. The decision to charge came after 10 activists from Palestine Action were detained without charge for seven days under the Terrorism Act, following an action which cost Israel’s biggest weapons producer, Elbit Systems, over £1million in damages.
Palestine Action supporters are expected to gather outside the court hearing.
As the Canary has documented, it comes as the state also arrested two British journalists – Richard Medhurst and Sarah Wilkinson – over their work.
Featured image via Palestine Action
