Jewish barrister Margaret Owen arrested for supporting Palestine Action
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, 94-year-old Jewish human rights barrister Margaret Owen was among more than 50 people arrested by Merseyside Police outside the Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool during a protest organized by Defend Our Juries. According to aljazeera.com, Owen was finally detained after months of attending demonstrations and displaying placards demanding the UK lift its ban on Palestine Action.
Protests Outside the Labour Conference
The demonstration drew approximately 200 participants who staged a sit-in outside the conference venue, holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” according to reports. Merseyside Police confirmed arresting 82 people during the mobilization on suspicion of carrying or wearing articles supporting a proscribed organization, though figures varied slightly in initial reports, with PressTV noting more than 50 arrests by Sunday evening. All detained demonstrators have since been released on bail.
Protesters confronted Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband at a nearby restaurant during the event, urging him to declare Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide and to deproscribe Palestine Action.
Legal Professionals Join Civil Disobedience Campaigns
She maintained that the involvement of senior legal professionals lends civil disobedience campaigns necessary authority. Other notable figures detained at recent demonstrations include singer Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, alongside various pensioners, former government lawyers, and health workers.
While the Metropolitan Police did not comment on Owen specifically, they noted to aljazeera.com that officers sometimes do not witness offenses or encounter circumstances that meet the legal threshold for immediate arrest. Meanwhile, the legal battle over the proscription continues. The High Court previously ruled that the ban disproportionately infringed upon freedom of expression, though the restriction remained active. Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has secured permission to challenge the proscription at the UK Supreme Court.
Government Awaits Palestine Action Supreme Court Challenge
He added that the government would allow ongoing judicial processes to unfold regarding the Palestine Action Supreme Court challenge.
Owen shares a personal connection with the foreign secretary, having been close friends with his late mother, Marion Kozak, a Holocaust survivor who passed away in July 2026.