Palestine Action

Police have arrested protesters at a Palestine Action demonstration in Liverpool. The group is proscribed in the UK, meaning public support for it can lead to arrest, and its demonstrations continue to draw police action. The arrests in Liverpool come amid ongoing debate in Britain over the ban and the policing of pro-Palestinian protests.

Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through Liverpool, converging on the Labour Party conference to pressure the UK government. Protesters demanded full sanctions on Israel, an end to British arms sales, and action over what they described as genocide and apartheid in Gaza. The march came as party members and activists gathered for the conference, making Palestine a visible issue for Labour leadership.

Palestine solidarity demonstrators rallied in Liverpool on Saturday, calling on the Labour government to go further in sanctioning Israel over its conduct in Gaza and the wider occupation of Palestinian territories. The protest, reported by the Morning Star, reflects growing pressure on Labour from within its own base, with activists arguing that UK policy has not gone far enough in response to the conflict.

Speaking at Friday's meeting of The Hague Group on defending international law, Palestine's ambassador set out eight measures all countries should take, saying the collective objective must be to make occupation and annexation costly and accountability unavoidable. The remarks come amid ongoing debate over how states should respond to Israel's occupation and annexation policies.

Massive Attack musician Rob Del Naja was arrested under the UK Terrorism Act outside the Labour Party conference venue, on the eve of the event. Campaign group Defend Our Juries said he was detained after holding a paper sign reading "I oppose genocide - I support Palestine Action". The arrest has drawn attention to police action against supporters of the proscribed group.

Dozens of US scholars have signed an open letter calling on UK Prime Minister Burnham to end the ban on Palestine Action, describing the proscription as indefensible and counter-productive. The letter characterises the group as a nonviolent direct action movement whose stated goal is to save lives and prevent genocide, and urges the government to reverse its position.