A 94-year-old human rights barrister has been arrested during a Palestine Action protest outside the Labour Party conference.
Margaret Owen was arrested by police at the demonstration – involving more than 250 people – outside the Liverpool Experience Campus on Sunday.
Police arrested a number of protesters alongside Owen who were sat holding homemade placards about the banned group which read: ‘I support Palestine Action.’
Officers initially stood by during the protest before swooping in to make arrests, telling demonstrators that they were supporting a proscribed organisation.
The arrests, which took place on the first day of the Labour Party conference, continued for hours while police escorted protesters away.
Cheers and chants including ‘free, free Palestine’ could be heard from the crowd each time an individual was taken away.
Protesters were told by officers that they were being arrested under the Terrorism Act for continuing to hold up their signs, it is understood.
Amnesty International has since condemned the police crackdown on the protest describing the arrests as a ‘shameful attack on free speech’.
Police officers arrest a protester during a demonstration in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action
A police officer prepares to arrest a protester during the demonstration held in Liverpool
Supporters of the proscribed group Palestine Action sit outside the conference with home-made banners
Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said: ‘Protesting is one of the most effective tools we have to make our leaders listen to us, but we have seen consecutive Governments crackdown on our right to do it.
‘The arrests of grandparents, teenagers and everyone in between for holding placards outside the Labour Party conference are a truly shameful attack on freedom of speech.
‘The new Prime Minister can reform our laws so that communities are protected in coming together and demonstrating on the issues they care about. Will he do so?’
A spokesperson from the protest organisers, Defend Our Juries, said: ‘We had hoped the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, would do the sensible thing and bin the ban on Palestine Action given the weight of public pressure to do so and the escalating amount of resources required in enforcing it.
‘Continuing the charade of the proscription of Palestine Action is illogical, unsustainable and immoral.
‘Hundreds of people, from professions including teachers, pensioners, and healthcare workers, are willing to be arrested today to let Andy Burnham know that it is not enough just to say that Israel is committing war crimes including ethnic cleansing in Gaza, he must take meaningful action to end UK complicity with Israel’s crimes.
‘The first step the PM could do today, from the podium of his inaugural party conference is to commit to ending the prosecution and jailing of people as terrorists just for standing up against war crimes and genocide.’
The protest comes as the Labour Party conference, which is due to finish on September 30, kicked off today.
Police officers pictured carrying a protester away on the first day of the party conference
Andy Burnham pictured on stage on the first day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool
But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Andy Burnham who is facing a difficult start to the event with ministers clashing on migration and accusations that he has ‘ghosted’ the Left of the party.
There is mounting evidence that the same bitter infighting that blighted Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership will also endanger the current PM.
Tensions have flared after Angela Rayner doubled down on her criticism of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s ‘un-British’ plans to make it harder for migrants to gain permanent residence.
The Housing Secretary insisted this morning that there were ‘no splits’ and pointed out that Mr Burnham wanted ministers to ‘do politics differently’ by speaking out.
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