London police announced that a total of 67 people have been charged with showing support for the banned group Palestine Action.

The defendants will appear in court on various dates in October and, if found guilty, face a maximum sentence of six months in prison, Scotland Yard specified.

The British government declared Palestine Action a terrorist organization in July after a series of acts of vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. The decision was condemned by human rights organizations as legal arbitrariness and a threat to freedom of speech.

Since the ban, more than 700 people have been arrested, mostly during demonstrations, under the Terrorism Act 2000. In its latest statement, London police said charges had been brought against 64 people over protests in the central part of the city on two dates last month. They are joined by three other defendants, who were announced earlier this month.

Scottish police confirmed that renowned screenwriter Paul Laverty had been arrested in Edinburgh on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action during a protest. Last week, Irish writer Sally Rooney stated that she would donate the fees from two BBC adaptations of her books to Palestine Action. | BGNES