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// DOSSIER — pro-palestine-protests-uk-labour-conference
Pro-Palestine Protests and Arrests at UK Labour Party Conference
REL_TIME: 29 Sep 2026 05:12Z · LANG: EN
A series of protests organized by the civil rights group Defend Our Juries took place in Liverpool during the opening of the UK Labour Party's annual conference. Demonstrators, including musician Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, held silent vigils to protest the government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. Police made multiple arrests, including elderly participants, citing the Terrorism Act 2000, which criminalizes support for the banned group. Activists are calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lift the ban, arguing that the government should focus on holding Israel accountable for actions in Gaza rather than suppressing domestic dissent.
// Background
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization in June 2025 following direct action protests, including the vandalism of aircraft at a major UK air base. Since then, the UK government has faced ongoing pressure from activists to reverse this designation. Prime Minister Andy Burnham assumed office in July 2026, marking this as his first party conference as leader. The protests occur against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in significant casualties and infrastructure destruction since 2023.
// Key Developments
- Over 200 protesters participated in a silent vigil outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
- At least 20 individuals, including a 94-year-old woman, were arrested for displaying signs supporting Palestine Action.
- Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja was arrested on Saturday for holding a placard expressing support for the banned group.
- Palestine Action was designated a terrorist organization by the UK government in June 2025.
- Protesters and human rights advocates argue the ban infringes on freedom of speech and the right to protest.
- Prominent international scholars, including Norman Finkelstein and Judith Butler, have petitioned Prime Minister Andy Burnham to de-proscribe the group.
// Timeline
-
Palestine Action is officially proscribed as a terrorist organization under the UK Terrorism Act 2000.
-
Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
-
Robert Del Naja is arrested during a protest in Liverpool.
-
Police make further arrests of protesters outside the Labour Party conference venue.
// Perspectives
[Defend Our Juries]
Advocates for the de-proscription of Palestine Action and views the arrests as a threat to democracy and the rule of law.
[UK Government (Prime Minister Andy Burnham)]
Maintains the legal proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000, leading to the enforcement of arrests for public support of the group.
[Protesters]
Argue that the government is complicit in war crimes in Gaza and that the ban on Palestine Action is a tool of censorship.
// Quotes
“Scenes of elderly people being hauled away by the police and arrested for terrorism, for quietly protesting against genocide and the repression of those who resist it, have become almost normal in Britain.”
“If the British Government were serious about ending its complicity in genocide, it would be sanctioning the government of Israel and Elbit Systems, not silencing and jailing those who oppose their crimes.”
“I don’t recognize the offense.”
