Police in the United Kingdom have arrested more than 50 individuals protesting in support of the banned Palestine Action group outside a Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The local Merseyside Police confirmed the arrests in a statement published on Sunday.
The police stated that those taken into custody at the protest, organized by Defend Our Juries, had displayed material in support of Palestine Action, which was proscribed as a 'terrorist' group by the Labour government in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act. According to the statement, police aimed to respect the rights of individuals to protest lawfully while maintaining public safety.
More than 250 protesters gathered outside the conference center holding banners supporting the group on Sunday, before police began making arrests. Among those arrested was Robert Del Naja, the singer of the English band Massive Attack.
After inquiring whether demonstrators would continue holding their signs, officers led individuals away, informing them they had been arrested under the Terrorism Act. Al Jazeera correspondent Milena Veselinovic reported that protesters aimed to bring the issue of proscription to the attention of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the first day of his party’s annual conference.
One protester stated, 'Being arrested is nothing in comparison to what the people in Gaza are going through, and it’s also worth it, because this is about our right to free speech.' Another added, 'There are priests, there are healthcare workers, there are people who deeply care, and deeply care about right and wrong.'
Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, remarked that protesting 'is one of the most effective tools' to make government leaders listen and described the arrests as 'a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech.' She urged the new prime minister to reform laws to protect communities' rights to demonstrate on issues they care about.
Activists also confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband inside a restaurant in Liverpool, demanding that he lift the ban on the group and acknowledge the situation in Gaza. The activists departed after Miliband reportedly declined to comment.
Since Palestine Action was outlawed in July 2025, a civil disobedience campaign has emerged, resulting in over 3,600 arrests for showing support for the group, often while holding signs stating, 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' The UK Supreme Court is set to hear the case after London’s Court of Appeal upheld the government ban in June.