Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja arrested at Liverpool protest
Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja was arrested at a Liverpool protest after displaying a sign supporting Palestine Action, days before the Labour Party’s annual conference.
- Robert Del Naja was arrested after displaying a sign supporting Palestine Action at a Liverpool protest.
- The demonstration called for Palestine Action’s proscription to be lifted and an end to British arms supplies to Israel.
- The organisation’s proscription remains subject to a Supreme Court appeal scheduled for November.
Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja was arrested during a protest in Liverpool on Saturday after displaying a sign supporting Palestine Action, ahead of the Labour Party’s annual conference in the city.
Del Naja, also known as 3D, was holding a sign reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”, outside the venue for the conference.
The demonstration was organised by British campaign group Defend Our Juries as part of its “Lift the Ban” campaign, which calls for Palestine Action to be removed from the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations. Protesters were also calling for an end to British arms supplies to Israel, according to Anadolu Agency.
Footage of Del Naja’s arrest, shared by Defend Our Juries, showed police officers approaching him and asking him to leave the area because he was “committing an offence”.
“I don't recognise the offence because under UK law, it is actually an offence to aid and abet any private individual or company aiding and abetting genocidal war crimes,” Del Naja told the officer.
When asked whether he was aware that Palestine Action was a proscribed organisation, Del Naja replied: “I don't agree with the proscription.”
A second officer then told him: “You're under arrest for supporting a proscribed organisation.”
Calls to lift Palestine Action ban
The arrest followed a pre-recorded message released by Defend Our Juries featuring Del Naja, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori and human rights barrister Michael Mansfield KC.
In the video, the three addressed Prime Minister Andy Burnham and called for Palestine Action to be removed from the UK’s list of proscribed organisations.
“Today, in modern Britain, desperate citizens are being arrested, prosecuted and jailed for terrorism. For terrorism,” they said. “Some for holding placards peacefully in silence, others for dismantling lethal drones destined for the civilian population of Gaza.”
“Under UK law, it is an offence for any identity, private or commercial, to aid and abet war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. We ask you to stop what is obviously wrong. Deproscribe Palestine Action.”
Anadolu Agency reported that the protest was attended by Palestine Action supporters and campaigners opposing the UK government’s policy towards Israel and Gaza.
Palestine Action was added to the UK government’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations in July 2025. Under UK law, inviting support for a proscribed organisation or recklessly expressing support for it is a criminal offence.
Del Naja’s previous protest arrest
Saturday’s arrest was not Del Naja’s first over his support for Palestine Action. He was among more than 200 people arrested during a demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London, in April. The protest was held in support of Palestine Action.
The UK government’s latest published statistics said 2,819 terrorism-related arrests in the year ending March 2026 were linked to supporting Palestine Action following its proscription.
The ban has also been challenged in court. According to NME, the High Court ruled in February that the proscription was unlawful and disproportionate, but the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling in June and held that the proscription was lawful. The Supreme Court has since granted limited permission for a further appeal, scheduled for November.
Massive Attack’s support for Palestine
Del Naja and his Bristol-based band Massive Attack have repeatedly spoken out in support of Palestinians and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The group has also backed campaigns critical of Israel’s military offensive and used its concerts to highlight humanitarian crises and political conflicts.
In July, Del Naja and fellow Massive Attack member Grant Marshall were barred from performing in and entering Singapore after displaying a Palestinian flag during a concert.
Singaporean authorities said the two members had received “stern warnings” over their “actions of support for a political cause and unfurling of a foreign flag” during the performance. They were subsequently barred from re-entering Singapore.
In 2025, Massive Attack helped establish an alliance for musicians and artists speaking publicly about Israel’s actions in Gaza. The group said artists who took such positions had faced intimidation and pressure within the music industry.
The band has also been a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause and has boycotted performing in Israel since 1999, according to NME.
Wider Gaza context
The Liverpool protest came amid continuing international attention on the Gaza conflict and Britain's policy towards Israel.
According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 74,000 Palestinians had been killed and more than 175,000 wounded in the Gaza war since 2023, while around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure had been destroyed.
The agency reported that despite a ceasefire that took effect on 10 October 2025, Israeli forces continued daily attacks in Gaza, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians and injuring around 5,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported.
