Story perspectives

Police arrest 82 at Liverpool pro-Palestine protest outside Labour conference

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 11:01 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Police arrested 82 people at a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Merseyside Police issued summons to 79 additional protesters, estimating about 180 attendees.
Police said arrests were made under the Terrorism Act after banners displayed support for the banned group Palestine Action.
Human rights barrister Margaret Owen, 94, was among those taken into custody.
Amnesty described the arrests as a “shameful attack on freedom of speech.”

History

Historical Context

On 7 July 2005 Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured almost 800 on London’s transport network, prompting the UK to raise alert levels and expand counter-terror powers. Those powers now let police, such as Merseyside officers, invoke the Terrorism Act against demonstrators, as seen in the May 2024 Labour conference arrests.

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Story summary

Police arrested 82 people at a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Merseyside Police issued summons to 79 additional protesters, estimating about 180 attendees.
Police said arrests were made under the Terrorism Act after banners displayed support for the banned group Palestine Action.
Human rights barrister Margaret Owen, 94, was among those taken into custody.
Amnesty described the arrests as a “shameful attack on freedom of speech.”

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