There was a powerful 500-strong picket of Pentonville Prison on Caledonian Road in north London on New Year’s Eve in support of the Filton 24 and the four pro-Palestine hunger strikers demanding their release from jail.
Police were out in force at the protest and told demonstrators that they must end the demonstration by 10pm or they could be arrested.
The picket marched along the side of the prison before turning back and marching again to the main entrance of the prison.
Throughout the protest there were chants like: ‘Free, Free the Filton 24! What do want! The Filton out! When do want it? Now! and ‘Say it clear! Say it loud! Hunger strikers make us proud!’
The protesters are demanding:
• ‘An end to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and UK complicity.
• ‘Full boycott, divestment and sanctions on Israel.
• ‘Freedom for all the Palestinian hostages and political prisoners.
• ‘Freedom, immediate bail and fair trial for our remanded political prisoners in the UK.’
At the end of the picket, police kettled the protesters with officers forming lines on both ends and refusing to let people move, unless they told police that they were leaving the demonstration to go home.
They also informed those attending that they would not be able to leave the immediate area and the protest must be confined to Caledonian Road.
Vanessa Khadjeh, a teacher from London, told News Line: ‘I am here because I support humanity.
‘I’m against genocide and above all, I want to show support for the human strikers.
‘I think every human being should be on this demo and yes, I would support the call for a general strike as a teacher and feel that all teachers should support Palestinians especially because so many young children’s lives are being lost in Palestine.’
Laila, a demonstrator from London, said: ‘I am here to support Karan and all the other hunger strikers.
‘My question to David Lammy and Keir Starmer is: “Why are you keeping these hunger strikers in prison?”
‘There are serious criminals that are roaming the the streets of London, yet we’re having these people locked up because they don’t agree with the genocide going on in Palestine.
‘I think Lammy and Starmer are criminals not only for what they’re allowing to happen in Palestine, but also for what they’re doing to people in this country, who are having a difficult time with the cost of living.’
Fiona O’Loingsiqa said: ‘I’m here to support Kamran who is part of the Filton 24 strikers and to show solidarity with everybody else involved in this struggle.
‘I also do not want people to forget the struggle that’s happening here.
‘I firmly believe their demands should be met – that means that Starmer and Lammy should not be ignoring their demands as they’re doing now and leaving them to die of hunger or other ailments.
‘Starmer and Lammy should be firstly meeting their legal representatives and bending over backwards to meet their demands.’
Henna Bakshi who attended the demonstration, told News Line: ‘It feels like the place to be.
‘We know it makes a difference what we are doing. Things are definintely changing.
‘I think that the government are there to uphold a system. They are not there for the people.
‘As we were approaching the demonstration we could already see it was a great turn-out.
‘It shows the passion that people have for Palestine and the Filton 24.
‘We must take this forward and challenge the government.’
Meanwhile, one of the hunger strikers, Kamran Ahmed, who is currently on day-54 of his hunger strike, released a statement to the media ahead of his hunger strike.
Ahmed stated: ‘On the 10th November, I plan to commence my hunger strike, insha’Allah, in line with the demands sent to the Home Office but also in solidarity with those who are having a harder time on remand than me, as it fills me with a sense of guilt, due to my time being relatively peaceful compared to others, alhamdulilah.
‘I remind myself that many Palestinians sit in Israeli jails unlawfully detained, namely Siham Abu Salem, a 71-year-old woman ripped from her hospital bed and declared an unlawful combatant (Recently released after a 2-year detention).
‘You are not forgotten, along with all the other political prisoners who are voices for the oppressed.
‘I hope my hunger strike acts as a symbol for people in the future so they remain undeterred to stand up for what’s right.
‘I finish with, I hope they do not silence our voices, like I feel we are being silenced in court.
‘Perhaps for the government committing the genocide is one big chess game but it is only their game when we refuse to play.’
HUNGER STRIKERS MUST BE FREED says BMJ
THE BRITISH Medical Journal (BMJ) has demanded that: ‘The rights and health of UK hunger strikers must be protected to prevent avoidable tragedy and the government must remove their punitive remand condition.’
Writing in the December 31st issue of the British Medical Journal, Rita Issa declares: ‘Eight young people have recently been on hunger strike in UK prisons. This is the largest coordinated hunger strike in the UK for almost 50 years.
‘At the time of writing, Heba Muraisi, Teuta Hoxha, and Kamran Ahmed have not eaten for over 50 days and Lewie Chiaramello for over 35 days …
‘This hunger strike is partly motivated by restrictive and punitive remand conditions, which include limiting communication with family members and next of kin, the denial of bail, and censorship including restrictions on access to reading materials and symbolic items …
‘The hunger strikes must also be understood in relation to the wider context that the prisoners themselves outline: the scale of suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people and the UK government’s ongoing financial support to arms manufacturers.
‘Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer (producing 85% of Israel’s drones fleet and land based military equipment) and with whom the Ministry of Defence is pursuing substantial contracts.
‘For the past two years, the health system in Gaza has been devastated by Israeli military attacks, with hospitals destroyed or rendered non-functional, and thousands of healthcare workers killed, injured, detained, or displaced.
‘United Nations agencies have repeatedly reported acute food insecurity, widespread malnutrition, and the deliberate withholding of essential aid.
‘The current hunger strikes follow a long lineage of such actions, including by suffragettes and conscientious objectors in the early twentieth century, and Irish republicans in 1980 and 1981. Ten of the Irish hunger strikers died after refusing food for between 46 and 73 days.
‘People in prison or detention may choose to use their bodies to highlight grievances when withdrawal of food becomes the only remaining way to demonstrate their agency. What matters here is that eight young people have found this to be the only means remaining to articulate their concerns.
‘The prolonged refusal of food carries a substantial risk of serious electrolyte disturbances and micronutrient deficiencies, cardiac arrhythmias, organ impairment, and susceptibility to severe infection, and sudden death. These risks increase with every passing day. In this context, the following actions must be urgently considered …
‘The government must intervene urgently.’
