Police arrest Palestine Action supporters at Labour conference

Police arrested supporters of Palestine Action during a silent vigil outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday, September 27, as demonstrators called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lift the ban on the group. The number arrested was unclear, with accounts ranging from two to dozens. More than 200 people gathered outside the conference venue, holding signs supporting Palestine Action and opposing what some described on their placards as genocide. Police moved to arrest demonstrators, including an elderly man sitting beneath a tree and people holding signs. Some reports said officers told sign-holders they were being arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation under terrorism legislation. Defend Our Juries organised the vigil as part of its campaign against the proscription. A spokesperson for the group said organisers had hoped Burnham would remove the ban, citing public pressure and the resources required to enforce it. The spokesperson urged the government to take action in response to the conflict in Gaza and said people from a range of professions were prepared to risk arrest to make their views known.