Protests · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Merseyside Police Arrest More Than 50 Palestine Action Protesters Outside Labour Conference in Liverpool
Police arrested more than 50 Palestine Action protesters outside the Labour conference in Liverpool. Hundreds gathered outside the conference centre to support Palestine Action protest.
How organisers' and critics' moral judgement is presented.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: amnesty called the arrests a freedom-of-speech attack.
The Independent was read line by line by the Watchdog: 6.2. See the score →
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BBC
“Amnesty International, which called them a ‘shameful attack on freedom of speech’”Read the original ↗
BBC reports Amnesty criticism of the arrests, while Novara describes them as "shameful and chilling" from organisers.
Liverpool arrests at Labour
Police arrested more than 50 people on the sidelines of the British Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool during a demonstration for Palestine Action, an organization deemed terrorist. Amnesty International criticized the arrests as a "shameful attack on freedom of expression," and Defend Our Juries said it had hoped new Prime Minister Andy Burnham would lift the ban.
Merseyside Police said more than 250 protesters sat outside the conference centre earlier, and police warned demonstrators they were illegally holding signs supporting a proscribed organisation. Merseyside Police told demonstrators they were arrested under the Terrorism Act, and the force said it made "detailed and co-ordinated plans ahead of such events" to apply the approach consistently, fairly and proportionately.
Defend Our Juries and Amnesty
Defend Our Juries spokesperson said, "We had hoped the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, would do the sensible thing and bin the ban on Palestine Action" and called the continued proscription "illogical, unsustainable and immoral." Amnesty International UK chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri said, "The arrests of grandparents, teenagers and everyone in between for holding placards outside the Labour Party conference are a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech."
The BBC said one of those detained was human rights barrister Margaret Owen, 94, and demonstrators cheered every time someone was carried away by police. BThe Independent said police asked demonstrators if they would keep holding up the signs before officers led people away and told them they were arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Del Naja and legal stakes
Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja was arrested outside the Labour Party Conference venue in Liverpool after he held a sign reading, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action," and police told him he was "committing an offence."
“I don't recognise the offence because under UK law, it is actually an offence to aid and abet any private individual or company aiding and abetting genocidal war crimes.”
Del Naja replied, "I don't recognise the offence because under UK law, it is actually an offence to aid and abet any private individual or company aiding and abetting genocidal war crimes," before a second officer said, "You're under arrest for supporting a proscribed organisation."
The Herald said Huda Ammori, one of the founders of the direct action group, had been given leave to appeal after the court quashed a previous decision, and it said the appeal would be heard on November 4 and 5.
The Herald said Defend Our Juries’ campaign to Lift the Ban on Palestine Action had seen over 3,700 arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 since July 2025 of those showing public support for Palestine Action.