What's happened
Protesters outside the Labour conference in Liverpool have been arrested under the Terrorism Act for displaying signs in support of Palestine Action, a group proscribed by the government. Police say rights to protest are respected while planning and enforcement aim to keep the public safe. The 2026 demonstrations have drawn pensioners, professionals and celebrities to demand de-proscription and protest rights.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
-Protests outside the Labour conference have become a recurring flashpoint as activists press for Palestine Action’s de-proscription. The heavy police presence and arrests signal a government emphasis on enforcing terrorism-related laws during demonstrations. -Impacts include potential chilling effects on protest strategies and debates about civil liberties vs security. -Readers should watch for any legal challenges to the proscription and future police enforcement patterns at political gatherings.
How we got here
Palestine Action was proscribed in 2025 for activities authorities say amount to criminal damage. Defend Our Juries has organized protests at Labour conference events to press for de-proscription and broader protest rights. The latest arrests follow heightened policing at the event and reflect ongoing tensions around Gaza-related activism in the UK.
Our analysis
- Al Jazeera: reports on arrest of 94-year-old activist and other protesters; quotes from Defend Our Juries and Amnesty International UK. - The Guardian: outlines police statements and total arrests; Miliband confrontation details. - BBC Business: outlines protest size, timing, and official policing plan. - Arab News: provides regional perspective and context on protests outside Labour conference.
Go deeper
- Will the Palestine Action ban be reviewed by courts or government before successive conferences?
- Are protest rights at major party conferences likely to tighten or loosen in light of these arrests?
- What legal arguments will Defend Our Juries and Amnesty International pursue next?
More on these topics
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Palestine Action - Europe-based pro-Palestinian direct action group
Palestine Action is a pro-Palestinian protest network that uses direct action tactics to shut down and disrupt multinational arms dealers. In particular, the group targets UK-based operations that provide weapons used in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
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Liverpool - City in England
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. Its population in 2019 was approximately 498,042. making it the tenth-largest English district by population and the largest in Merseyside and the surrounding region.
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Merseyside Police - Territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England
Merseyside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Merseyside in North West England. The service area is 647 square kilometres with a population of around 1.5 million. As of September 2017 the service has 3,484 police officers, 1,619 police staff, 253 police community support officers, 155 designated officers and 208 special constables. The force is led by Chief Constable Rob Carden.
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Andy Burnham - Mayor of Greater Manchester
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Gaza - Wikimedia disambiguation page
Gaza most commonly refers to: Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip Gaza may also refer to:
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United Kingdom - Country in Europe
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northwestern coast of the European mainland.
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Ed Miliband - Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy since 2020, and has served as Member of Parliament for Doncaster North since 2005.
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Labour Party - Centrist social democratic political party in the United Kingdom
The Labour Party, commonly Labour, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Conservative Party. It sits on the centre-left of the left–right political spectrum, and has been described as an alliance of democratic...
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Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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