We republish below a press statement from Prisoners For Palestine on the targeting of the Labour Party HQ by activists in solidarity with pro-Palestine hunger strikers.
On Monday 29 December, a group called Justice For The Hunger-Strikers took action against the Headquarters of the British Labour Party, at 20 Rushworth Street, Southwark, London. The activists covered the front of the building in red paint, often used by pro-Palestinian direct action groups to symbolise the blood shed by the Palestinian people, and also broke windows.
The action was taken in solidarity with the imprisoned Palestine Action hunger-strikers, who have been refusing food since launching the protest, in support of a series of political demands, on 2 November. Despite being given 2 weeks notice of the hunger-strike, the Labour government have refused to engage with the hunger-strikers, or their families and legal representatives, even as they have reached a critical stage, with death a very real possibility.
The hunger-strikers demands include their release on bail, (with some having already spent in excess of a year imprisoned without trial), an end to interference with their mail and reading material, the right to a fair trial, and the deproscription of Palestine Action. Prior to the hunger-strike commencing, Heba Muraisi was moved from Bronzefield Prison in Surrey, to New Hall Prison in West Yorkshire, far away from her family and support network. Today, she is on Day 57 of her hunger-strike, and her demand to either be released on bail, or to be moved back to Bronzefield, has been added to the prisoners list of demands, along with access to all activities and courses, and an end to non-association orders.
International support for the hunger-strike, the largest since the Irish hunger-strikes of 1981, has been enormous, with hundreds of protests taking place around the country, and throughout the world. In spite of this, and the calls from hundreds of doctors and lawyers, MPs, and a statement from the United Nations, Justice Minister David Lammy has refused to engage on any level. As the prisoners’ health declines, frustration is growing among supporters.
A spokesperson for Justice For The Hunger-Strikers said: “Today is Day 57 of refusing food for hunger striker Heba Muraisi. Their condition is critical, but the Labour government has failed to intervene in any way to save the lives of unconvicted prisoners, who face harsher treatment due to the policitised nature of their detention and the proscription of Palestine Action.
“We hold the government and the Labour Party responsible for the welfare of the hunger-striking prisoners, and we will take direct action in support of them, and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose blood they have on their hands. The carelessness and callousness of this Labour government will not shield them, and we will continue taking action until there has been justice for the hunger strikers and for the Palestinians.”
