Police detained more than 50 demonstrators outside the Labour Party conference for displaying signs supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action.
Key facts
- •More than 50 people were arrested by Merseyside Police during a demonstration in Liverpool.
- •The protest was organized by Defend Our Juries outside the annual Labour Party conference.
- •Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization by the government in July 2025.
- •Among those detained were 94-year-old barrister Margaret Owen and musician Robert Del Naja.
- •Amnesty International UK criticized the arrests as an attack on the right to protest.
Merseyside Police arrested more than 50 people outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday. The demonstrators, part of a group of over 250 protesters organized by Defend Our Juries, were detained for displaying material in support of Palestine Action, which the government proscribed as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act in July 2025.
By the numbers
Police Enforcement and Arrests
Officers monitored the protest before issuing warnings to demonstrators regarding the legality of their signs. After asking participants if they intended to continue displaying the material, police began making arrests under the Terrorism Act. Among those detained were 94-year-old human rights barrister Margaret Owen and singer Robert Del Naja of the band Massive Attack. Merseyside Police stated that they had coordinated plans to ensure the event was handled consistently and proportionately, noting that not everyone present had committed a criminal offense.
Public and Organizational Response
The arrests drew sharp criticism from Amnesty International UK, with chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri labeling the police action a 'shameful attack on freedom of speech.' A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries argued that the proscription of Palestine Action is 'illogical, unsustainable and immoral,' and called for the government to lift the ban. Separately, activists confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband at a local restaurant to demand the ban be lifted, though he reportedly declined to comment.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Politics, Al Jazeera.
