British trip-hop band Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja was detained under counterterrorism laws while attending a Gaza solidarity protest in Liverpool.
Del Naja's placard at the demonstration read, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." The protest was held as part of calls opposing the United Kingdom's ban on Palestine Action and urging the country to end arms supplies to Israel.
Demands of the protest
The action, organized by Defend Our Juries, was part of the group's "Lift the Ban" campaign. The campaign aims to overturn the decision to place Palestine Action on the United Kingdom's list of banned terrorist organizations.
The demonstration in Liverpool took place ahead of the Labour Party's annual conference. Supporters of Palestine Action and campaigners opposing the British government's policy toward Israel and Gaza attended the action.
Message released after the detention
After the detention, a prerecorded video message prepared by Del Naja, human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield and Palestine Action co-founder Huda Amoori and addressed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham was released.
The three said, referring to the hundreds of people detained for supporting Palestine Action, "We do not believe that you think these citizens are terrorists. We therefore ask you to stop what is plainly wrong and remove Palestine Action from the list of banned organizations."
Deaths in Gaza and legal proceedings
Approximately 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 injured in the war in Gaza since 2023, while around 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area has been destroyed.
Despite the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 5,000 injured in the attacks that have continued in Gaza.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
