The Labour government are loyal to one thing only - their capitalist and imperialist interests. In that pursuit, they will allow the death of those who sought to stop a genocide.
The contempt they have shown is extraordinary - especially considering the scale of the backlash they received when proscribing Palestine Action in the first place.
Eight pro-Palestine activists in UK prisons are on a coordinated hunger strike—the largest in the UK since the 1981 Irish republican protests.The hunger strikers Jon Cink, Heba Muraisi, Qesser Zuhrah, Amu Gib, Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed and Umer Khalid with others joining later are political prisoners in prison for over a year without trial. They allegedly took action to prevent weapons from being sent to Israel to be used in genocide. Now the government is holding them in inhumane conditions in prison, violating their rights. Five have been hospitalized, and reports highlight inadequate medical care, censorship of communications, and prison refusals for urgent transfers.
The hunger strikers have now gone without food for over a month, and several are now in critical medical condition. If time allows: These prisoners have five demands:
End all censorship of their mail and communications;
Release them from custody while awaiting trial;
That they be given access to their legal documents to ensure their right to a fair trial;
That the UK government de-proscribe the organization Palestine Action;
and that the UK government shut down all Elbit Systems facilities.
These brave young people are victims of a system that has used the Terrorism Act to attempt to silence opposition to Israel’s genose cide who are now at serious life-threatening risk. They must be given fair trials. They are representatives of an enormous shift in consciousness amongst young people. They will inspire others. Starmer inspires absolutely nothing.
This is Qesser Zuhrah, one of the Palestine Action activists on remand she is being physically abused and mistreated by the British State for trying to stop the British-backed genocide in Palestine,she hasn’t eaten for over 40 days and may soon die, along with others, unless David Lammy intervenes urgently. She faces critical health issues like chest pains, breathlessness, and an abnormal ECG, leaving her unable to stand.
Zarah Sultana arrived at 2:30 a.m., urged prison staff via intercom, and pressed Justice Secretary David Lammy to act as doctors warned the facility lacks tests like blood work or scans.
Supporters including MPs Nadia Whittome and Shockat Adam say ambulances have been refused, while critics call the condition self-inflicted; no ambulance had arrived by early afternoon amid growing pressure over remand care for pro-Palestine activists.
Despite attempts at police intervention, Zarah refused to leave until Bronzfield allowed Zuhrah, who hasn't eaten for more than 40 days and is in desperate need of hospital care, to be taken to hospital.
Am relieved to hear that Quesser Zuhrah wasfinally taken to hospital to receive medical attention following the outstanding efforts of Zarah Sultana and many dedicated humanitarians, local activists and union branches demonstrating outside HMP Bronzefield.
Literally any criticism I had of Zarah Sultana is irrelevant now, completely swept away by the fact that she is the only politcian to show up and try and save the life of Qesser Zuhrah. Thank you Zarah Sultana shame on those who remain silent while claiming to be pro-Palestine.
The urgency of this devastating situation has already led to letters to David Lammy from over 100 healthcare professionals, while nearly 50 MPs have backed a motion calling on the Justice Secretary to engage with the Palestine Action hunger strikers. David Lammy can no longer ignore MPs calls and must act urgently.
Several UN human rights experts have also written to the British government expressing deep concern at the detention of the activists, even stating that the conditions around their arrest could constitute “enforced disappearance" under international law.
There has been a long history of hunger strikes in British prisons, most notably in the struggle for an end to British occupation of Ireland. It is deeply alarming that the government has failed to acknowledge these young activists or their demands. Every day their health deteriorates further, yet the state remains silent.
The treatment of these prisoners, and the persecution of peaceful protestors and their supporters under anti-terror legislation, are the latest steps in a shameful campaign against civil liberties and basic democratic rights carried out by this Labour government.
These actions have been met with outrage by the British public, reflected in the thousands of protestors acting in defiance and Labour’s collapsing position in the polls. By charging peaceful protestors under terrorism offences, the government shows open contempt for the democratic rights that generations of trade unionists and civil liberties groups fought to secure. What is done to these activists today can be done to any group tomorrow
Those with responsibility must ensure all these people on hunger strike get access to the specific medical interventions required to prevent the totally avoidable loss of lives.
The denial of their right to communicate freely with their legal counsel, their pre-trial imprisonment - which has gone on for over a year already in some cases - and the severe restrictions placed on their detention, must all end immediately.
None of these individuals have been convicted of a crime and yet are facing pre-trial detention of up to – and in some cases beyond - 18 months, far exceeding the UK’s standard time limit.
Prosecutors must also immediately drop the allegations of a ‘terrorism connection’ in these cases and end this excessively lengthy pre-trial imprisonment.
The hunger strikers are experiencing dizziness, muscle twitching, unstable blood sugar, failing vision and chest tightness. This is the point where the body begins to shut down and the risk of death is no longer distant or abstract. The fortitude and determination it takes to put your body through such trauma shows how courageous these activists are.
The most morally principled, brave and if we are honest the only ones who did what really had to be done to try to stop the genocide, were those who did direct action with Palestine Action, knowing they would face arrest and imprisonment. As they are being slowly murdered by Keir Starmer they are being systematically erased by the media and political class in the UK. the Palestine Action activists represent the best of humanity, and they will be remembered as such by history.
The Palestine Action hunger strikers' dire situation ' is a shameful moment for the UK government. It's shocking that these activists have been forced to resort to such desperate measures to bring attention to their plight and the cruel misuse of terrorism law
There have been protests supporting the hunger strikers across the UK, including rallies at several BBC offices calling for the corporation to cover the story. They are being punished for disrupting Britain’s role in arming Israel and for refusing silence as Gaza is destroyed. For this, they are being left to starve in prison, ignored by the government and increasingly erased from public view. We have seen this before. Britain has allowed hunger strikers to die.
At the same time while Palestinians continue to live under the devastation of Israel’s genocide, the UK government continues to give Israel political cover – by continuing arms exports, maintaining trade with illegal settlements, and refusing to use its leverage to ensure Israel allows aid into Gaza or upholds the ceasefire.
Protesters are currently gathering outside Parliament as Prime Minister’s Questions take place, demanding attention to the hunger strikers and their demands.
I stand in solidarity with prisoners in UK prisons on hunger strike for justice.We cannot allow their conditions to deteriorate further. Please stand with the hunger strikers too. The hunger strikers are a present day reminder of the necessity to resist injustice. Left with no other options, they're using their bodies as a way to continue their resistance behind bars. They are modern day heroes, and we should all rally behind them. No one should be criminalised for legitimately protesting against genocide.
All eyes on the best of us. As much noise as possible needs to be made in solidarity with the hunger strikers in the UK. A society that has no red lines, is no society at all. Pressure matters. Time matters. This is urgent, a matter of life or death,for updates or to show support, groups like Prisoners for Palestine https://prisonersforpalestine.org/ and Palestine Solidarity Campaign
https://palestinecampaign.org/ are organizing actions.
The suffragettes, now a diamond in Britain’s progressive history, are just one example of a group that used direct action to further their political aims. And yet, if they were protesting today, they would have faced the same ban as Palestine Action. Please, sign and share this campaign to put as much pressure as possible on David Lammy to force him to act.
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