Police arrested a number of demonstrators outside the Labour Party conference on Sunday during a protest supporting Palestine Action.
More than 250 protesters sat outside Liverpool’s conference venue, many holding handmade banners stating: “I support Palestine Action”, the banned group.
Scores of police stood by before stepping in to make arrests, telling demonstrators they held signs supporting a proscribed organisation.
After asking if they would keep holding up the signs, officers led people away, stating they were arrested under the Terrorism Act.
The arrests, extending over hours, drew criticism from Amnesty International, which called them a “shameful attack on freedom of speech”.
A spokesperson for 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."
Demonstrators applauded whenever someone was led away by police, chanting “free, free Palestine”.
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?”
