Over 50 Arrested at Banned Palestine Action Protest in Liverpool

Arrests at the Labour Party Conference

More than fifty demonstrators were taken into police custody outside the conference centre in Liverpool where the Labour Party held its gathering. Approximately 250 individuals participated in the demonstration, carrying banners and placards bearing messages such as “I support Palestine Action.” Officers on the scene warned participants that displaying materials in support of the organisation constituted backing for a proscribed group. Protesters who continued to hold the signs were subsequently arrested by police.

Those detained during the demonstration included 94-year-old human rights advocate Margaret Owen and Robert Del Naja, singer for the band Massive Attack. The action follows the British government’s decision to ban Palestine Action in July of last year, a move triggered after members broke into an air force base and sprayed military aircraft with red paint. A London court upheld that ban in June, concluding that the group promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism, despite acknowledging the ban was highly controversial.

Amnesty International Condemns Police Response

Amnesty International UK strongly criticized the police intervention during the Liverpool demonstration. Kerry Moscogiuri of Amnesty International UK stated that the detentions represented a shameful attack on freedom of expression, noting that grandparents, teenagers, and others were arrested simply for holding protest signs near the conference venue.

Moscogiuri called on Prime Minister Burnham to adjust existing laws to ensure that communities retain protection when gathering to demonstrate for causes they care about. The ongoing legal status of Palestine Action remains subject to further review by the Supreme Court, which will evaluate the ban’s legitimacy.