Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja arrested at Liverpool Gaza protest
Robert Del Naja was detained during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Labour Party Conference venue in Liverpool.
What happened
Robert Del Naja, a member of the UK music group Massive Attack, was arrested at a pro-Palestine solidarity protest in Liverpool, according to all three sources reviewed.123
The arrest took place outside the venue of the Labour Party Conference, which began the following day.2
According to The National, Del Naja was arrested after holding a sign reading 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'.2
Anadolu Agency's headline stated that Del Naja was detained under UK anti-terror laws.1
A video of the arrest, shared on Instagram by British activist group Defend Our Juries, showed police telling Del Naja he was 'committing an offence,' to which he replied that he did not recognise the offence.2
What the coverage leaves out
- All three sources reviewed (Anadolu Agency, The National, Al Jazeera English) are based in the Middle East & Turkey region; no outlets from other regions were reviewed, so these facts cannot be confirmed as agreed across regions.
- Anadolu Agency (Turkey) and Al Jazeera English (Qatar) are state-controlled outlets; this should be considered when weighing their coverage.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported a response from the Labour Party or the UK government regarding the arrest.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported whether Del Naja was charged, released, or the specific legal basis cited by police at the scene.
- None of the outlets reviewed included statements from UK police confirming the grounds for arrest.
Why it matters
The arrest occurred outside the venue for the Labour Party Conference, which was set to begin the day after the protest.2
Sources (3)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Middle East & Turkey
- 1Anadolu AgencyTRState-controlled
Member of UK music group Massive Attack arrested at Liverpool solidarity protest for Gaza
- 2The NationalAEPrivate
- 3Al Jazeera EnglishQAState-controlled
Massive Attack singer arrested over pro-Palestine protest in UK