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More than 50 people were taken into custody by police in Liverpool on Sunday after staging a demonstration in support of Palestine Action, the group that the UK government outlawed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. The arrests took place outside the venue hosting the Labour Party's annual conference, casting a shadow over the opening day of the governing party's flagship political gathering.
Merseyside Police confirmed the arrests in a statement, saying that those detained had been displaying material supporting the proscribed group. The protest was organised by Defend Our Juries, a campaign group that has been at the forefront of civil disobedience actions against the ban. According to police, officers acted to uphold the law while respecting the right to peaceful protest.
The scene outside the conference centre was tense but largely orderly in its early stages. More than 250 demonstrators sat on the ground holding banners and signs expressing support for Palestine Action. Dozens of police officers then moved in, approaching individuals one by one and asking whether they intended to continue holding up the signs. When the protesters affirmed that they would, officers led them away and informed them they were being arrested under the Terrorism Act.
The prohibition of Palestine Action was introduced by the previous Labour government under then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the group was formally proscribed in July 2025. The ban made it a criminal offence to belong to the organisation, invite support for it, or display material that could be construed as supportive of it. Since then, a sustained campaign of civil disobedience has emerged, with more than 3,600 people arrested across the country for expressing support for the group, frequently while holding signs reading, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."
The timing of Sunday's protest was significant. It coincided with the first day of the Labour Party conference, and demonstrators made clear their intention to place the issue of Palestine Action's proscription at the top of the political agenda. With Andy Burnham now serving as UK Prime Minister and Labour leader, activists are seeking to force a change in direction from the man who has inherited the government's controversial stance on the banned group.
Reporting from Liverpool, Al Jazeera correspondent Milena Veselinovic said the protesters wanted to put proscription "front and centre of the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's agenda" on the opening day of his party's annual conference. The choice of location and timing was designed to maximise visibility and pressure on the new Labour leadership.
One protester who spoke to Al Jazeera framed the decision to risk arrest in stark moral terms. "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," the demonstrator said. Another participant emphasised the diverse composition of the crowd, noting that "there are priests, there are healthcare workers, there are people who deeply care, and deeply care about right and wrong."
The arrests drew a sharp response from human rights organisations. Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said protesting "is one of the most effective tools" to make government leaders listen. She described the arrests as "a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech." Moscogiuri also issued a direct challenge to the new prime minister, asking whether he would reform laws "so that communities are protected in coming together and demonstrating on the issues they care about."
The controversy extended beyond the streets outside the conference centre. Activists also confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband inside a restaurant in Liverpool, demanding that he lift the ban on Palestine Action and formally declare that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide. According to reports, the activists left after Miliband declined to comment on their demands.
The legal foundation for the ban rests on the Terrorism Act, which grants the government broad powers to designate organisations as terrorist entities. A UK court ruled in June 2026 that the proscription of Palestine Action was lawful, a decision that activists have continued to contest through both legal channels and direct action. The government maintains that the ban is necessary for public safety and national security.
Critics argue that the use of anti-terrorism legislation against peaceful demonstrators represents a disproportionate response that criminalises legitimate political expression. The large number of arrests, now exceeding 3,600 since the ban took effect, has fuelled concerns that the law is being used to suppress dissent rather than to address genuine security threats. Legal experts have noted that the threshold for prosecution under the Terrorism Act is notably lower than for other public order offences, making it easier for authorities to secure convictions.
The protest outside the Labour conference reflects a broader pattern of escalating tensions between the UK government and pro-Palestinian activists. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, demonstrations have become a regular feature of British political life, with campaigners accusing successive governments of complicity in what they describe as genocide. The Labour leadership, meanwhile, has consistently defended its position on proscription, citing the need to maintain public order.
The implications of Sunday's arrests are likely to reverberate well beyond Liverpool. For the new prime minister, the images of police leading away peaceful demonstrators on the first day of his party's conference present an unwelcome distraction. For activists, the arrests serve as a rallying cry and a testament to their willingness to accept legal consequences for their beliefs. The government now faces the difficult task of balancing its stated commitment to public safety with growing scrutiny over the erosion of civil liberties.
As the conference continues, further protests are expected. Defend Our Juries has signalled that its campaign will persist regardless of the arrests, and the question of whether the new government will reconsider the ban on Palestine Action remains open. For now, the standoff outside the Labour conference stands as a vivid illustration of the deepening divide over how far the state should go in restricting support for a group it has deemed terrorist.
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