Writers Show Solidarity with Palestinian Hunger Strikers
International Solidarity for Palestinian Activists
Tens of writers and academics from around the globe have signed a declaration of solidarity to support prisoners from the proscribed group Palestine Action, who are currently on a hunger strike. Notable signatories include author Naomi Klein, novelist Sally Rooney, activist and scholar Angela Davis, philosopher Judith Butler, and journalist George Monbiot. They support three British activists who are refusing food until their demands are met.
Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed have been on a hunger strike for 71 and 64 days, respectively, as part of a protest that began in November. A third prisoner, Lewie Chiaramello, is abstaining from food on alternate days due to Type 1 diabetes. The activists are being held in various prisons for their involvement in break-ins at the UK subsidiary of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in Bristol and at a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Oxfordshire, facing charges of theft and public disorder, which they contest.
The hunger strikers are demanding bail release and the right to a fair trial, as well as the repeal of Palestine Action's designation as a "terrorist organization." They also seek the closure of all Elbit locations in the United Kingdom and an end to censorship in prisons, including the withholding of correspondence, phone calls, and books. Five of the eight initial protest participants have ended their hunger strikes due to health issues.
Globally, pressure on the British government is mounting to act in favor of the Palestine Action prisoners. Former hunger strikers from Ireland, Palestine, and Guantanamo Bay have issued an urgent appeal to British ministers, requesting meetings with the families and legal representatives of the activists. Friends and relatives of the prisoners have stated their determination to continue their hunger strike until all their demands are met, despite the rapid deterioration of their health.
On New Year's Eve, hundreds gathered in Belfast to show solidarity with the Palestine Action hunger strikers. Their chants echoed among the murals that not only decorate the city but also reflect its tumultuous past. On Falls Road, Irish republican murals stand alongside Palestinian ones. The International Wall, once a canvas for global struggles, has become known as the Palestinian wall. Poems by Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023, are painted along its length. Images sent by Palestinian artists have been brought to life by local hands. Recently, new words have appeared on the famous walls of Belfast: "Blessed are those who hunger for justice."
