Palestine Action protesters arrested outside UK Labour Party conference

What the report says

Police in Liverpool, in northwest England, arrested more than 50 people on Sunday outside the UK Labour Party’s annual conference during a protest in support of Palestine Action, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Merseyside Police. The demonstrators were organised by Defend Our Juries and were holding signs backing the group, which the Labour government proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act.

Al Jazeera reported that more than 250 people gathered near the conference venue on the first day of the event, where officers moved in after warning some protesters they could be arrested if they continued displaying the material. Police said they were balancing the right to lawful protest with the need to keep the peace and protect public safety.

The arrests come amid an ongoing civil disobedience campaign over the ban on Palestine Action. Al Jazeera said the group’s supporters have been detained in large numbers since the proscription, and activists at the Liverpool protest said they were trying to put the issue in front of the party leadership. Amnesty International UK also criticised the arrests, describing protest as an important form of public expression.

The article also said activists confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband at a restaurant in Liverpool, urging him to lift the ban and condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. More broadly, the episode highlights the continuing political and legal dispute in the UK over support for Palestine Action and protest rights.