Since the start of the Zionist genocide in Gaza in October 2023, the British state has upped its punishment of activists who take a stand on the side of the Palestinian people. Thousands of people have been arrested and 32 are currently held in prison on remand pending trials, some of which are not scheduled to take place until 2027. Rather than remain passive in the face of their criminalisation, or simply wait for the multiple legal processes in the criminal and civil courts to run their course, pro-Palestine prisoners have now taken the initiative.
On 20 October Prisoners for Palestine announced that from 2 November – the anniversary of the Balfour declaration, which signalled British imperialism’s decision to create the Zionist state – incarcerated activists would begin an indefinite hunger strike. Their demands are:
- An end to all prison censorship of their mail and communications.
- Immediate bail.
- The right to a fair trial, in particular the disclosure of documents relating to meetings between British and Israeli state officials, the British police, the attorney general, Elbit Systems etc.
- The deproscription of Palestine Action
- The closing down of Zionist weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, British factories.
There are currently six prisoners across four prisons refusing food. Their health is rapidly deteriorating but their resolve remains strong. On 15 November, FRFI comrades in London, Durham, Manchester and Leeds joined a day of solidarity protest outside prisons. The prisoners’ action has also attracted international support, with recently released veteran Lebanese prisoner Georges Abdallah saying ‘In light of the repression faced by the activists of Prisoners for Palestine, I wish to express my full solidarity with the comrades taking part in the hunger strikes.’
To find out more about the prisoners on hunger strike and ways to show solidarity go to prisonersforpalestine.org
Nicki Jameson
