Protesters are organizing a “mass, silent sign-holding vigil” at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, according to organizers at Defend Our Juries, a rights advocacy group. The demonstration is planned for Sunday, the opening day of the conference being presided over by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The protest responds to Palestine Action’s proscription as a terrorist group in July 2025, which has resulted in more than 3,600 arrests of individuals showing support for the organization, typically by displaying signs reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Organizers anticipate further arrests and expect several hundred attendees.
The demonstration is framed as an “integrity test” of Burnham’s commitment to reducing British involvement in what organizers characterize as Israel’s actions in the occupied territories. Rights groups and activists have called on Labour to suspend all arms sales to Israel and reverse the ban on Palestine Action, whose primary focus is targeting Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer. Defend Our Juries stated that if Burnham means his stated commitment to ending British complicity, he should cease arrests of peaceful demonstrators and lift the ban on the group.
Burnham has taken a comparatively stronger stance on Israeli settlements and settler violence in the West Bank compared to his predecessors, announcing sanctions earlier in the month. However, his government inherited the ban on Palestine Action from the previous Starmer administration, which proscribed the group under the Terrorism Act. This decision has drawn scrutiny, particularly as it followed the Hamas attacks of October 2023 and subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Political analysts suggest Burnham may face pressure to balance competing interests. Colm Murphy, a senior lecturer in British politics at Queen Mary University, noted that Labour leaders typically seek to reduce the salience of Israel-Palestine issues to maintain party unity and electoral viability. The question of whether the Burnham government might reverse the ban remains uncertain, particularly given that U.S. President Donald Trump has also recently outlawed Palestine Action, potentially complicating any reversal decision.
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