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More than 50 Palestine Action support rally protesters arrested
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Over 50 demonstrators were arrested outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool during a protest supporting the banned Palestine Action group, with arrests made under the Terrorism Act for carrying items linked to a proscribed organisation.
- Merseyside Police emphasized their commitment to lawful protest while maintaining public safety, stating that not all protesters were committing criminal offenses and that arrests were made following detailed operational planning.
- Defend Our Juries criticized the ban on Palestine Action, urging new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reconsider it amid public pressure and concerns over enforcement resources.
- Amnesty International UK condemned the arrests as an attack on freedom of speech and called on the government to reform laws to protect the right to protest.
- The group's co-founder has been granted permission to appeal the ban, which the Home Office insists is unrelated to Palestinian protests and is justified due to the group's involvement in criminal damage.
