Protesters are planning to gather in Liverpool for a mass, silent sign-holding vigil in support of Palestine Action on September 27, coinciding with the opening day of the Labour Party conference presided over by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Rights group Defend Our Juries, which organizes the rallies, stated that the action is a direct response to the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group in July 2025.
Since the group was outlawed, a civil disobedience campaign has led to more than 3,600 arrests for showing support, often involving demonstrators holding signs that read, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Organisers at Defend Our Juries expect several hundred attendees and anticipate further arrests at the conference site. Officers have carried away hundreds of elderly and disabled individuals, as well as teachers, doctors, and religious leaders during these demonstrations.
The upcoming protest serves as what organisers describe as an integrity test of the new leadership. They are demanding that Prime Minister Burnham depart from the policies of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer by halting arms exports to Israel, recognizing the genocide in Gaza, and reversing the ban on Palestine Action.
Did You Know? Since Palestine Action was outlawed under Keir Starmer’s leadership in July 2025, police have arrested more than 3,600 people for demonstrating in support of the group, with numerous participants facing terrorism-related sentencing provisions in British courtrooms despite not being charged with terrorism offenses.
Labour’s Stance on Israel, Palestine, and Sanctions
Prime Minister Burnham has taken a sharper approach toward illegal Israeli settlements and settler violence in the occupied West Bank compared to his predecessors, announcing new sanctions earlier this month. Joseph Willits, head of Parliamentary Affairs at the Council for Arab-British Understanding, noted that these new sanctions highlight the inadequacies and lack of will from the previous government under Keir Starmer.
Despite these sanctions, activists and human rights groups continue pressing the administration to suspend all arms sales to Israel. They also demand the reversal of the proscription against Palestine Action, whose primary target is Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband recently drew praise from campaigners for banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, though activists argue the government must take further action.
Expert Insight: The friction between grassroots Palestine Action supporters and Labour’s leadership highlights a deeper political balancing act. As Queen Mary University senior lecturer Colm Murphy observed, Labour leaders under a first-past-the-post system often try to defang polarizing foreign policy issues to keep a broad electoral coalition intact, making sudden reversals on contentious proscriptions like Palestine Action politically uncertain.
Conference Press Scrutiny and Future Outlook
Prime Minister Burnham faced additional scrutiny ahead of the conference when Declassified UK reported on Friday that the investigative foreign policy outlet had been denied media passes for the Labour event, which runs from Sunday through Wednesday. Organisers maintain that public pressure, which previously forced shifts in foreign policy, will not stop until the government ends arms exports and lifts the ban on domestic dissent.
Regarding whether Burnham’s administration might eventually reverse the proscription, analysts remain divided. Joseph Willits raised questions over whether the Labour government would want to pick a potential battle line with United States President Donald Trump, who recently outlawed the group as well. Meanwhile, Colm Murphy suggested that the administration might only address the issue if it regains significant salience in British politics, noting that protests could help raise its profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are protesters gathering at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool?
Protesters from the Defend Our Juries group are holding a mass, silent sign-holding vigil to demand that Prime Minister Andy Burnham lift the ban on Palestine Action and end British complicity in Israel’s military actions.
How many people have been arrested in connection with Palestine Action?
Since the group was outlawed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025, a civil disobedience campaign has resulted in more than 3,600 arrests of individuals showing support.
What specific policy changes are campaigners demanding from Prime Minister Burnham?
Campaigners are urging the government to reverse the proscription of Palestine Action, halt all arms exports to Israel, and recognize the genocide in Gaza, building on recent sanctions against illegal West Bank settlements.
How will the new Labour leadership handle mounting domestic pressure regarding foreign policy and civil liberties as the party conference gets underway?
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