Vigil Planned Ahead of First Conference Under New Leadership
Protesters are planning to gather in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action at the first Labour Party conference presided over by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The event, scheduled to run from Sunday to Wednesday, marks a significant transition in UK political leadership as activists prepare to challenge the government's stance on Israel and Gaza.
Defend Our Juries, a rights group that organizes rallies calling for the government to drop the ban on Palestine Action, announced plans for a "mass, silent sign-holding vigil" in Liverpool. The location is situated close to the conference centre where the party's annual gathering will take place.
Organizers describe the upcoming action as an "integrity test of the new leadership’s commitment to ending Britain’s complicity in Israel’s ethnic cleansing and war crimes." The group has urged Prime Minister Burnham to lift the ban on Palestine Action and stop arresting individuals who are peacefully demonstrating against what they characterize as genocide.
Defend Our Juries expects several hundred people to attend the protest. The group anticipates further arrests during the demonstration, continuing a pattern of civil disobedience that has intensified since the group was outlawed.
Civil Disobedience Campaign and Arrests
The protest comes in the wake of a sustained campaign of civil disobedience following the proscription of Palestine Action as a "terrorist" group. Since being outlawed in July 2025, this campaign has resulted in more than 3,600 arrests for individuals showing support for the organization.
Palestine Action, whose main target is identified as Elbit Systems, was designated under the Terrorism Act by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Rights groups and activists are currently calling on the Labour Party to suspend all arms sales to Israel and reverse the ban on Palestine Action.
The timing of the vigil coincides with increased scrutiny of the UK's foreign policy direction. Investigative outlet Declassified UK reported that it was denied media passes to cover the Labour conference, which is scheduled to take place from Sunday to Wednesday.
Shifting Stances on Israel and Palestine
Prime Minister Burnham has taken a stronger stance against illegal Israeli settlements and settler violence in the occupied West Bank compared to his predecessors. Earlier this month, he announced sanctions related to these issues, marking a shift in policy from previous administrations.
However, critics argue that the current government's actions have worsened the legacy of former Prime Minister Starmer. Joseph Willits, head of Parli, stated that Burnham and his predecessor Ed Miliband were able to act because they had the political will, contrasting their approach with Starmer's tenure.
Starmer proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act while he was prime minister. Days after Israel attacked Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 2023, then-Prime Minister Starmer said Israel had the "right" to cut off the strip’s water supply, a statement he later walked back.
Historical Context of Labour Policy
The evolution of Labour's position on Palestine has been gradual, according to Colm Murphy, a senior lecturer in British politics at Queen Mary University. Murphy stated that Labour leaders have taken gradual steps on Palestine to keep the party and electoral bloc together.
Murphy noted that recognition of the Palestinian state by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer was the culmination of a process begun by Ed Miliband. This historical trajectory provides context for the current tensions, as activists view the proscription of Palestine Action as a regression from previous diplomatic milestones.