Menu
Palestine hunger strikers

Palestine hunger strike: Free the Filton 24! Lock up the real terrorists!

,

Eight political prisoners locked up for the ‘crime’ of fighting the genocide in Gaza have been starved and left to languish by the British state. If they die, the blame will lie with Starmer’s government and the system it upholds. Free the Filton 24! Lock up the real terrorists!

Starved, neglected, and left to languish. Handcuffed whilst hospitalised. Held in remand without fair trial or procedure. This is how far the British state will go to silence and censor activism for Palestine.

Amongst the ‘Filton 24’, the political prisoners incarcerated for their non-violent direct action, eight activists (at the time of writing) are on hunger strike in the UK.

These protesters have been branded as ‘terrorists’ for daring to disrupt – through acts of civil disobedience – the Labour government’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

For the ‘crime’ of allegedly breaking into an RAF base, members of the Filton 24 have been equated to cut-throat Islamist organisations such as Al-Qaeda.

For demanding that Britain must shut down Elbit Systems’ operations in the UK, the Home Office has briefed the mainstream media to carry spurious stories alleging connections to the Iranian regime.

Everyone can see what this is: a clear case of the entire establishment making an example of these activists, to show what happens when you oppose the interests of British imperialism.

Conspiracy of silence

This is the largest coordinated political hunger strike in the UK’s prisons since the 1981 Irish hunger strikes. Despite this, there has been an orchestrated media blackout on this case.

Only in the last twenty-four hours has the BBC broken its conspiracy of silence against the political prisoners, in which it quotes one of the prisoners’ lawyers:

“We therefore request an urgent meeting with you [Justice Secretary David Lammy], in an attempt to resolve this situation, before it becomes too late to avoid the death of one or more of our clients.”

Unsurprisingly, this sanitised BBC article scarcely mentions the political motivations of the prisoners. To spell these out clearly, their demands are:

  1. An end to the government’s demonisation of pro-Palestine activists, including dropping Labour’s grotesque ‘terrorist connection’ lies;
  2. Immediate bail, since many are already being held far beyond the usual six-month remand limit;
  3. The right to a fair trial;
  4. The shutting down of Elbit Systems’ UK sites;
  5. The scrapping of the proposed £2.7 billion contract between the Ministry of Defence and Elbit.

Instead, the BBC has decided to comment on political prisoners refusing food in Tunisia, and a Ukrainian former military officer doing the same in Italy. So much for impartiality.

The so-called ‘free’ press is no better. “Palestine Action activists on hunger strike claim they could die in prison,” reads yesterday’s headline of The Telegraph.

This right-wing rag printed all manner of distortions and lies in order to justify Palestine Action’s proscription. After contributing to the political climate where Palestine activists are treated as ‘terrorists’, it now laments that prisoners could die. The hypocrisy is nauseating.

But in pole position when it comes to duplicity and deceit is David Lammy, the Secretary of State for Justice.

One week ago, when confronted by activists and by a family member of one of the political prisoners, Lammy claimed ignorance. The only words he could muster were that the situation was “unfortunate”, before he scuttled off with his security guards.


This goes well beyond the realms of ‘plausible deniability’. In fact, the hunger strikers have been sending letters to the Home Office since October outlining their demands.

They have received zero acknowledgement. Not a single reply.

Sir Kid Starver

Only now, as the lives of political prisoners hang in the balance, is the government looking like it might acknowledge their suffering. But we should not be fooled. The entire political establishment cares more about saving face than saving lives.

After being elected into office, the Labour government talked up the idea of an ‘arms embargo’ on Israel, as a sop to Palestine protestors. But it was a case of political smoke and mirrors. To this day, Britain continues to export key components of F-35s that have reduced Gaza to rubble.

Back in May, when David Lammy took to the Commons to condemn Israel for the murder of children in Gaza, RAF reconnaissance missions were afoot gathering intelligence for Israel.

Back in July, when Keir Starmer threatened Israel with the recognition of a Palestinian state, trade and arms continued to flow between the UK and the Zionist regime.

The Labour government may have changed its tune on Israel on a number of occasions, feeling the enormous pressure from below. But throughout, they have continued to facilitate the genocide, whilst ramping up their repression of Palestine activists.

From attacking pensioners for the ‘crime’ of holding placards; to replacing judges in last minute stitch-ups: Starmer’s government will not let ‘justice’ get in the way of their imperialist aims.

No trial date has been set for any of the prisoners. No bail has been granted. It could be months – even years – until their cases are brought before a court.

Now we see the consequences of this playing out. The criminal negligence of the Prime Minister in not even engaging with the pro-Palestine prisoners has added a whole new meaning to his well-deserved title: Sir Kid Starver.

Left in the lurch by politicians; silenced by the press; and systematically mistreated by the prison system: it is now entirely possible that political prisoners will die under Starmer and Lammy’s watch.

If this occurs, responsibility will lie with the system that places profit, prestige, and power above human life. Both at home and abroad, those in Downing Street will have blood on their hands.

That’s why we say:

  • Release all the political prisoners!
  • Drop all the charges against the Filton 24!
  • An injury to one is an injury to all!
  • An immediate end to all state repression!
  • The real terrorists are in Westminster and Washington!
  • Lock up the war criminals! Down with the warmongers!

Related Posts