The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is set to organize a significant pro-Gaza demonstration at the upcoming Labour Party conference in Liverpool. This marks the first time the group, established in 1982, has conducted a national protest outside of London, aiming to pressure the UK government to cease all arms trading with Israel.
The protest, scheduled to take place in approximately two weeks, comes in response to David Lammy's recent announcement regarding the suspension of certain arms export licenses to Israel. This decision followed a review that identified a "clear risk" of UK arms potentially being used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The UK, one of the world's largest arms exporters, has been a major supplier to Israel since the 1950s. The current arms export control regime is governed by the Export Control Act 2002, which aims to regulate the trade of military equipment.
Ben Jamal, the director of PSC, expressed disbelief that 90% of export licenses would continue, including parts for F-35 fighter jets. These fifth-generation combat aircraft, developed by Lockheed Martin, have reportedly been used in operations in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007.
"We will be bringing the Palestinian solidarity movement to Labour's conference in Liverpool to show the strength of support for a halt to all arms trading with Israel and an end to all forms of UK complicity with genocide."
The protest is expected to draw tens of thousands of supporters, with northern branches of the PSC assisting in organizing the event. Other organizations involved include the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop the War Coalition (founded in 2001), Friends of Al-Aqsa (established in 1997), Muslim Association of Britain (founded in 1997), and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (established in 1957).
Liverpool, a city with a significant history of political activism, has been a regular host for the Labour Party Conference since 2011. The Labour Party, founded in 1900, has historically been supportive of Palestinian rights. However, its handling of the conflict since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas has attracted criticism.
Despite a landslide victory on July 4, 2023, Labour has faced challenges in areas with high proportions of Muslim voters, losing seats to Independent MPs in several constituencies. This protest comes at a crucial time, as the International Criminal Court opened an investigation into the situation in Palestine in 2021, adding further complexity to the ongoing conflict.