UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband faced a direct confrontation with Gaza activists at a Liverpool restaurant on Tuesday night. the protesters, occurring during the Labour Party conference, demanded action regarding the conflict in Gaza and the status of the group Palestine Action.
Miliband’s rhetoric on West Bank settlements and war crimes
During the Labour conference in Liverpool, Ed Miliband delivered a speech that signaled a significant policy pivot regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Foreign Secretary stated that the party would call out ethnic cleansing by settler terrorists in the West Bank and evidence of war crimes in Gaza. as reported by the source, Miliband proposed matching words with actions, such as banning imports from illegal settlements and disrupting the financial, construction, and service supply lines that support them.
This shift comes as the Labour Party attempts to address the outrage felt by millions regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Miliband noted that under the leadership of Andy Burnham, the party's approach had been "reset" to better reflect these concerns. He emphasized that the government and the party would not allow attempts to destroy the two-state solution to succeed.
The 150 arrests and the detention of Margaret Owen
The political tension in Liverpool has manifested in significant police action against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. According to Defend Our Juries, more than 150 people were arrested on Monday during protests held in support of Palestine Action. Among those detained was 94-year-old human rights barrister Margaret Owen, a detail that has highlighted the intensity of the crackdown on the streets.
The confrontation at the Pizza Express on Tuesday night served as a microcosm of this wider unrest.. Activists approached Miliband while he was dining, pointing out that hundreds of people were being arrested just meters away from the conference proceedings. A spokesman for Defend Our Juries criticized the Foreign Secretary,suggesting a "breathtaking" hypocrisy in telling campaigners they are right to build pressure while those taking a stand are still being arrested as terrorists.
The jurisdictional divide over Palestine Action’s proscription
While protesters demanded that Miliband lift the ban on the group Palestine Action, a critical question remains regarding his actual authority to do so. The group has been proscribed under UK terrorism laws, a status that supporters argue criminalizes legitimate protest. However, the decision to reverse this proscription does not rest with the Foreign Secretary.
The responsibility for the status of Palestine Action lies with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. This creates a visible disconnect between Miliband's vocal support for human rights and the government's continued use of terrorism laws against activists. It remains unclear if the Home Office will align its decisions with the Foreign Secretary's recent policy shifts or maintain the current proscription of the group.
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