Ed Miliband Confronted by Pro-Palestinian Activists During Conference Dinner

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was confronted by activists demanding he de-proscribe Palestine Action and recognize a genocide in Gaza while dining at a Pizza Express in Liverpool. The incident occurred outside the Labour Party conference, which has seen significant pro-Palestinian protests.

More than 150 arrests were made on the day of the confrontation, with activists carrying banners in support of the banned group Palestine Action. Video footage shared online by Defend Our Juries shows two individuals approaching Miliband, urging him to reverse the proscription of Palestine Action and to declare a genocide in Gaza, citing the large number of arrests occurring nearby.

Miliband reportedly responded that he would be willing to speak with them but noted they were interrupting a constituency dinner. Responsibility for decisions regarding the proscription of Palestine Action lies with the Home Secretary, not the Foreign Secretary.

Earlier in the month, Miliband had advocated for Labour's decision to implement sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. During his address at the conference, he was met with a standing ovation as he stated that the UK would adopt a firmer stance on Israel under Andy Burnham's leadership.

"I want to say to the millions of people in this country and indeed elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people: we hear you, you were right," Miliband told the audience. He outlined Labour's new approach, which includes calling out ethnic cleansing by settlers in the West Bank and potential war crimes in Gaza, as well as challenging Israel's occupation of Palestine. He further committed to banning imports from illegal settlements and disrupting financial and service links to these settlements, asserting a commitment to preserving the two-state solution.

Defend Our Juries stated that over 150 arrests followed a 16-hour protest outside the conference venue. A spokesperson for the group criticized Miliband's remarks, calling them hypocritical given the ongoing arrests of individuals protesting against what they term genocide. The group also noted that 94-year-old human rights barrister Margaret Owen was among those arrested.