Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Sunday, police have said.
Merseyside Police officers detained 66 people outside the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre for supporting the banned terror group Palestine Action, the force said on Monday.
Two of those held were later released but the other 64 were arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence and were taken into custody, the force said.
A person is detained. Pic: Reuters
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All those arrested, aged between 21 and 83 years, have been released on bail after Sunday’s demonstration.
Merseyside Police said in a statement: “Some of the people in attendance displayed material in support of Palestine Action, who are a proscribed terrorism organisation.”
About 100 people had gathered silently, holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, protest group Defend Our Juries said.
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group admitted it was behind the damaging of two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton the previous month.
During the protest on Sunday, Keith Hackett, 71, said: “I’m risking arrest today under terrorism legislation because, as a former Labour Party councillor in Liverpool, I am deeply ashamed of how Labour are acting.”
A ‘Lift the Ban on Palestine Action’ protest organised by Defend our Juries near the Labour conference. Pic: Reuters
Tayo Aluko, 63, an actor, writer and singer from Liverpool, said the government “wants to plant fear in the citizens so that it can continue to let their friends and paymasters get away with genocide”.
Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK’s director of communications and campaigns, said: “These arrests should not be happening. It’s clearly both ridiculous and seriously disproportionate for police to be targeting and arresting people for sitting down, quietly holding a sign.”
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Israel denies any genocide is taking place during its conflict with terror group Hamas in Gaza.
Inside the hall, a protester holding up a Palestinian flag interrupted Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s speech.
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Gaza protester interrupts Reeves
The man was heard shouting at the chancellor about “genocide” in Gaza and the “mass starvation of Palestinians”.
In response, Ms Reeves said: “We understand your cause, and we are recognising a Palestinian state. But we are now a party in government, not a party of protest.”
