Full Breakdown
Police Arrest Protesters Supporting Banned Palestine Action at Labour Party Conference
By Drooid · · How we work
The Arrests at the Labour Conference
On September 27, 2026, Merseyside Police detained more than 50 demonstrators outside the Labour Party conference venue in Liverpool. Police later confirmed the total number of arrests that day reached 50.
Legal Background of the Palestine Action Proscription
Palestine Action, founded in 2020 as a direct-action network targeting companies linked to Israel’s military, was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 under the Terrorism Act 2000. The Home Office argued that the group’s activities, including property damage at defence sites such as Thales (Glasgow, 2022) and RAF Brize Norton (June 2025), crossed the legal threshold for terrorism.
A February 2026 High Court ruling declared the ban “unlawful and disproportionate.” The Court of Appeal reversed that decision in June 2026, upholding the Home Secretary’s authority to proscribe the group. The Supreme Court granted permission for a further appeal, with a hearing scheduled for November 4-5, 2026.
Data on Arrests and Penalties
- Home Office figures record 2,819 arrests linked to support for Palestine Action in Great Britain in the year to March 2026; 484 resulted in charges.
- Under the Terrorism Act, supporting a proscribed organisation can carry a maximum sentence of 14 years; public display of supporting material can lead to up to six months in custody.
- On the opening day of the conference, 15 people were arrested within two hours under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act.
Official Responses
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would “robustly defend this appeal,” referring to the Supreme Court permission to review the ban.
On the Ground: Demonstrators' Experience
The crowd included retirees, clergy, disabled participants and a 94-year-old human-rights barrister, Margaret Owen. Demonstrators cheered each police removal, chanting “free, free Palestine.”
Musician Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack was arrested on September 26 after holding a sign with the same message.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of arrests on the first day: BBC outlets cite “more than 50,” local Liverpool reports note “15 arrests within two hours,” while other regional coverage states “50 arrests in total.” No source provides a definitive final tally for the entire conference period.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We had hoped the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, would do the sensible thing and bin the ban on Palestine Action given the weight of public pressure to do so and the escalating amount of resources required in enforcing it.” — Defend Our Juries
- “Protesting is one of the most effective tools we have to make our leaders listen to us, but we have seen consecutive governments crackdown on our right to do it.” — Kerry Moscogiuri, international UK chief
- “I think the interests of a Labour leader who wants to keep the Labour Party together, and keep a broad electoral bloc together too in a first-past-the-post system, is to try and defang this issue as much as possible,” — Colm Murphy, senior lecturer, Queen Mary University
What’s Next
The appeal against the proscription will be heard on November 4-5, 2026. Defend Our Juries has indicated that further demonstrations are planned pending the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing. The government has not announced any change to the ban or to policing policy ahead of the appeal.