Protesters march on Labour conference, call for ending arms sale to Israel

Hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered outside Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, demanding an end to the United Kingdom's arms sales to Israel. The protest took place shortly after new Prime Minister Andy Burnham assumed office. Some activists even called for the UK to extend its sanctions, which were recently imposed on West Bank settlements, to encompass the entire nation of Israel.

The UK government has recently implemented its toughest sanctions package against Israel, targeting the trade, financial systems, and services that support the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Following their election in September 2024, the newly inaugurated Starmer administration suspended approximately 30 export licenses for weapons manufactured in the UK.

However, despite this action, the government granted $169 million worth of military equipment to Israel over the course of the next three months. Demonstrators have been vocal in their call for sanctions to be applied across Israel.