A 94-year-old human rights barrister named Margaret Owen was among those arrested during a Palestine Action protest outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The demonstration, which involved over 250 protesters, led to multiple arrests by police under the Terrorism Act for holding placards supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action. Amnesty International has condemned these arrests as an attack on free speech.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Sunday during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, over 250 pro-Palestine protesters gathered to show support for Palestine Action, a group banned as "terrorist" since July 2025. The protest included demonstrators holding homemade banners reading “I support Palestine Action,” and chanting slogans like "free, free Palestine." Prominent figures such as Robert Del Naja from the band Massive Attack and 94-year-old human rights barrister Margaret Owen were among those arrested by police under the Terrorism Act for displaying banned group materials. Over 3,600 people have been arrested since the ban was implemented due to similar protests. Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri criticized the arrests as a "shameful attack on free speech," calling for reforms that protect communities' right to demonstrate peacefully.
Written for “Pro-Palestine Protests Arrests” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 9 other(s) covering the same event.
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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.
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Owen → see → 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.'
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I → arrest → Action
Officers initially stood by during the protest before swooping in to make arrests, telling demonstrators that they were supporting a proscribed organisation.
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they → stand → 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.
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individual → take → crowd
Protesters were told by officers that they were being arrested under the Terrorism Act for continuing to hold up their signs, it is understood.
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it → tell → signs
Amnesty International has since condemned the police crackdown on the protest describing the arrests as a 'shameful attack on free speech'.
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International → condemn → speech
Police officers arrest a protester during a demonstration in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action
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officers → arrest → group
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.
'
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we → prepare → 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.
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arrests → hold → 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.
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they → reform → issues
Will he do so?'
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he → do → ?
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.
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Minister → defend → it
'Continuing the charade of the proscription of Palestine Action is illogical, unsustainable and immoral.
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Continuing → continue → Action
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.
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he → include → 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.'
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PM → do → crimes
The protest comes as the Labour Party conference, which is due to finish on September 30, kicked off today.
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which → come → September
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
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officers → picture → 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.
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he → face → party
There is mounting evidence that the same bitter infighting that blighted Sir Keir Starmer's leadership will also endanger the current PM.
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that → be → 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.
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migrants → flare → 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.
Do YOU have a story?
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YOU → insist → story
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