Dozens arrested at Labour conference protest over Palestine Action ban

Police in Liverpool have arrested dozens of demonstrators outside the Labour Party conference after activists staged a sit-in against the government’s ban on Palestine Action.

Around 100 people gathered on Sunday holding placards declaring: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

The British government outlawed the group in April, designating it a terrorist organisation just weeks after campaigners sprayed red paint over an RAF aircraft allegedly carrying weapons parts destined for Israel.

Palestine Action has long targeted arms factories and government buildings, accusing the UK of enabling Israel’s war on Gaza.

The ban is highly unusual for a homegrown protest network and means that even voicing support could result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Civil liberties advocates, the United Nations and Amnesty International have all denounced the decision, while critics across the political spectrum say it amounts to a sweeping assault on free speech.