Activists protest outside UK Labour offices supporting Palestine hunger strikers

Pro-Palestine Activists Protest Labour Party Offices in London

A group of pro-Palestine activists, affiliated with Justice for the Hunger Strikers, held a protest outside the offices of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party in London on Monday. The protesters used red paint and smashed windows to express their solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike in British jails.

The four detainees, who are currently refusing food while being held on remand awaiting trial, have been protesting for an extended period. Heba Muraisi, one of the detainees, has been on day 57 of her hunger strike and expressed her determination to continue fighting for justice. Her statement was shared exclusively with Al Jazeera.

The three other detainees still on hunger strike are Teuta Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello. They have previously been hospitalized during their protests. A spokesperson for Justice for the Hunger Strikers criticized the Labour government, stating that it has failed to engage with the hunger strikers despite advance warning of the strike.

The detainees are being held in five prisons across England on charges related to alleged involvement in break-ins at an Israeli defense firm and a Royal Air Force base. They deny the charges and claim that the UK government should be held accountable for its role in Israel’s actions against the Palestinian people.

The hunger strikers’ demands include release on bail, access to fair trials, and de-proscription of Palestine Action. Campaigners have described the protest as the largest hunger strike in Britain since the Irish hunger strikes of 1981, with hundreds of solidarity demonstrations taking place across the country.

A group of United Nations experts recently issued a statement expressing alarm at the detainees’ treatment, highlighting the state’s duty of care towards hunger strikers. The trials of the detainees are expected to begin between April and January 2027.

Source: Al Jazeera