More than 50 Palestine Action protesters were arrested outside the UK Labour conference in Liverpool amid a debate over protest and free speech.
Palestine Action Protesters Arrested at UK Labour Conference
More than 50 people have been arrested during a pro-Palestine Action protest outside the UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool, as tensions over the government’s decision to ban the group continue to grow.
Merseyside Police confirmed the arrests after demonstrators gathered outside the conference venue on Sunday. The protest was organised by Defend Our Juries, a campaign group that has opposed the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act.
Police said officers respected the right to lawful protest while also taking steps to maintain public order and protect the safety of those attending the event. However, dozens of protesters were detained after displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action.
More than 250 people reportedly joined the demonstration outside the conference centre. Many protesters sat together while holding signs in support of the banned group. Police officers subsequently moved through the crowd and began making arrests.
Among those detained was Robert Del Naja, the singer and musician from British band Massive Attack.
Officers reportedly asked demonstrators whether they intended to continue displaying the signs before arresting several people under provisions of the Terrorism Act. The arrests have reignited debate over freedom of expression, the right to protest and the legal consequences of supporting a proscribed organisation in the United Kingdom.
The protest took place as the Labour Party conference opened in Liverpool, putting the government’s policy towards Palestine Action and the wider issue of protests over the war in Gaza firmly into the spotlight.
One demonstrator said being arrested was a small price to pay compared with the suffering of people in Gaza and argued that the protest was about protecting freedom of speech. Other protesters highlighted the participation of healthcare workers, religious figures and members of the public who said they were demonstrating because of their concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Amnesty International UK chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri also criticised the arrests. She said peaceful protest is an important way for communities to draw the government’s attention to issues they consider important.
The controversy comes after the UK government formally proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act. The decision means that membership of the organisation, inviting support for it or displaying certain forms of support can result in criminal prosecution.
The government has defended the proscription, while opponents have challenged the decision on legal and civil liberties grounds.
The legal dispute is continuing. The Court of Appeal previously upheld the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action, while the case is now expected to be considered by the UK Supreme Court.
The Liverpool arrests are part of a wider campaign of civil disobedience that has developed since the organisation was banned. Activists have staged protests across the UK, with some deliberately displaying messages expressing support for Palestine Action and opposition to the government’s policy.
Campaigners have argued that such demonstrations are protected forms of political expression and have questioned whether the terrorism legislation is being used too broadly. Authorities, meanwhile, have continued to enforce the law against people suspected of showing support for the proscribed group.
The issue has also reached senior members of the UK government. During the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, activists confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband at a restaurant and called for the Palestine Action ban to be lifted. They also raised allegations concerning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The activists reportedly left after Miliband declined to comment.
The arrests are likely to keep the debate over Palestine Action, freedom of speech and protest laws in the UK at the centre of political and legal discussion.
For campaigners, the demonstrations are about the right to protest against government policy and the situation in Gaza. For law enforcement authorities, the central issue is enforcing legislation governing support for an organisation that has been formally proscribed under UK counterterrorism law.
With the Supreme Court case still ahead, the legal status of Palestine Action and the boundaries of protest rights in Britain remain subjects of significant public debate.
