Over 50 Arrested for Backing Palestine Action Outside Labour Conference
Merseyside Police arrested more than 50 people voicing support for Palestine Action outside the UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool on September 28. Al Jazeera Officers told those detained they were held under the Terrorism Act.
More than 250 protesters had sat outside the conference centre holding banners for Palestine Action before arrests began. The protest was organised by Defend Our Juries. The method was plain. Sit down. Hold the banner. Wait for police action.
Palestine Action was proscribed, or officially banned as a terrorist organisation, by the Labour government in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act. Since then, more than 3,600 people have been arrested for expressing support. Detainees have often held signs reading "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."
Separately in Liverpool, activists confronted Ed Miliband inside a restaurant and demanded he lift the ban on Palestine Action. Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, described the Liverpool arrests as "a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech."
The broader context here is enforcement meeting protest. Proscription makes it a crime to express support, not only to join or help a group in practical ways. That creates a low threshold for arrest, like a tripwire, when banners name the group. Police do not need to show violent intent at the point of detention. The law is blunt. Protesters appear to understand that and are using it.
Looking at what this means for Labour, the party is policing its own conference under powers its own government introduced. The location was chosen with care. A conference brings ministers, delegates, media and police into one secure zone, so any detention is highly visible. That strains custody space, prosecution choices and public trust. It also tests whether the ban reduces support or makes confrontation routine. In my view, Liverpool suggests the second outcome is taking hold, with each arrest cycle bringing further mobilisation rather than closure.
