Belfast Residents Unite to Support Palestinian Activists on Hunger Strike
Belfast, Northern Ireland — As fireworks lit up the sky, the city’s streets were filled not only with celebration but also with a powerful message of solidarity. Dozens of individuals gathered in support of activists from Palestine Action, who are currently on a hunger strike in prison.
Their chants echoed alongside murals that not only beautify the city but also recount its tumultuous past. On Falls Road, Irish republican murals stand alongside Palestinian ones. The International Wall, once a living canvas of global struggles, has become known as the 'Palestinian Wall.' The poetry of Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023, runs the length of this wall. Images sent by Palestinian artists have been painted by local hands.
New messages have recently appeared on the famous walls of Belfast: “Blessed are those who hunger for justice.” Alongside well-known images of Irish republican prisoners such as Bobby Sands, the names of new pro-Palestinian activists who are on hunger strike in UK prisons have been added, their bodies weakening as days go by.
“This is not a city that will accept any attempt to silence our voice or our right to protest for human rights,” said Patricia McKeown, a union activist who spoke at the protest. “These young people are being unjustly detained under ridiculous conditions – and they have made the extreme decision to express their views... especially regarding what is happening to the people of Palestine – why wouldn’t we support that?”
The protest in Belfast is part of a growing international campaign calling on the British government to intervene, as the health of the four detainees deteriorates behind prison walls. All are affiliated with Palestine Action and are being held awaiting trial, a process that supporters say could keep them incarcerated for over a year before their cases are heard. With legal avenues exhausted, supporters claim that the hunger strike has become a last resort.
