Pro-Palestine Action group to rally at Labour conference led by Burnham

What the report says

Pro-Palestine activists are planning a silent vigil in Liverpool on Sunday to coincide with Labour’s conference, which Prime Minister Andy Burnham is due to lead, according to Al Jazeera. The action is being organised by Defend Our Juries in support of Palestine Action, the group the UK banned under terrorism laws in July 2025. Organisers say the protest will take place near the conference centre and is intended as a test of the new leadership’s commitment on Gaza and broader UK policy toward Israel and Palestine.

Al Jazeera reports that the campaign around the ban has already led to more than 3,600 arrests for displaying support for Palestine Action, often through signs opposing genocide and backing the group. Defend Our Juries expects several hundred people to attend Sunday’s rally and says more arrests are likely. The group is also urging the government to reverse the proscription, arguing that peaceful protest should not be treated as support for terrorism.

The article says Burnham has recently taken a firmer line than some previous Labour leaders on Israeli settlements and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, including announcing sanctions earlier this month. But rights groups and pro-Palestinian activists continue to press Labour to go further, especially by ending UK arms sales to Israel and lifting the Palestine Action ban. Al Jazeera also notes that Burnham faced fresh attention after Declassified UK said it was denied media access to the conference.