Three Palestine Action protestors end their hunger strike

Freya5

Whitewavemark2

This is one of the reasons we are dropping down the human rights table.

Really. Their choice to starve themselves. No sympathy . Violent thugs. Choose Palestine, go there.

No, it cannot be that Whitewave, surely?

To hae force fed them would have been against their human rights. By allowing them to starve according to their express wishes is upholding their human rights.

Of course it can’t, that’s nonsense .And if the UK is dropping down the human rights league table it makes me wonder what it’s based on considering what many countries are like.😬

The whole violent attack is on some very chaotic video on youtube. The aggression and violence shown to a security guard at the start shows what 'peaceful' people they were not. Two police officers injured, one male by being hit with a sledgehammer to the calf, one female by having a sledgehammer blow or two to her back. Two of the offenders had to be tasered because of their violent resistance. Anyone willing to engage in such violence against a security guard and police is not safe to be released on bail. Prisoners are not kept on remand for trivial offences, pressure on our prison service has never been greater.

I think in your well-meaning comments you have overlooked the violent and aggressive actions of this group and I’m disappointed you had to demonise Israel by saying you are boycotting Israeli goods, which indicates you are not quite as charitable and liberal as you might think or like others to think you are. A 20 year old member of our family was killed in October 2023 after the heinous attack on October 7 and yet all you are keen to focus on and bring up as a topic for discussion is the hunger strike of some violent activists.

Not sure who that is addressed to, sorry, AllyTrevally.

There are various viewpoints on here.

Fallingstar

Cossy

I agree with every single word litterpicker

I wish see an end to the Gaza conflict, what’s happening there is horrific, I too absolutely deny I am in any anti Semitic.

What Hammas did was horrendous, and I utterly condemn it. My only gripe with Israel is their government. Too many normal citizens both in Gaza and Israel have been killed or injured, this will continue to happen until this fighting stops

Very true Cossy
And of course is not antisemitic. I am against the atrocities committed by both sides and I am Jewish, I also have family and friends who are against the atrocities on both sides.
I mean who can condone the heinous crimes committed by Hamas and then go on to support the heinous war crimes committed by the Israeli government?
There has to be such a thing as balance.

I am anti-war, but I do believe that Hamas knew what they were doing. The "poked the bear", then tried to win the war by propaganda, expecting the rest of the world to side with them, using their own people as human shields and then showing the world all the bodies of damaged and broken children. Their agenda was to get rid of Israel altogether. But I do not think anyone on either side anticipated the scale of the reaction or cost. But sitting outside of this, it is easy to see that Israel were not going to stop until they got their hostages back, nor that the actions of the West Bank Isrealis need to be stopped

AllyTrevally, I am deeply sorry that you have had a family member die in this awful conflict. I am not advocating for any individual or group who has used violence against an opposing group or individual.
There have been a number of discussions on Gransnet about the terrible events in the current conflict dating from the 7th October attack by Hamas, on Israeli young people and families in 2023.
The reason I raised the hunger strikes by the now banned ‘Palestine Action’ group is that I was concerned that I had seen no mention of the fact that three of the hunger strikers were near to death, either on here or in the main news media. I do not support the return of force feeding - that is a hideous abuse of human rights and a form of torture. Yes, the hunger strikers had chosen to stop eating, presumably as the only form of protest that they felt was left to them. We don’t know what has made them give up but I imagine the pleas of family and friends would have been a powerful influence.
My personal interest comes from the strong commitment that I have as a member of a Christian denomination that owes its origin to a Jew and in modern times, along with all the major church groupings in the UK and Ireland, has tried to build supportive links with Jewish communities both locally and nationally. We cannot, however, ignore the injustices and suffering of Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim, in what has always been termed ‘The Holy Land’. I know several people who have been to Israel/Palestine as part of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), coordinated in the UK by The Quakers. Their testimonies are a powerful witness to the suffering of Palestinian communities in The West Bank where Israel goes against international agreements in controlling the lives of Palestinians and enables ‘settler’ groups to violently take over land farmed by Palestinians. Many Israelis disagree with their government’s actions on these issues and campaign for justice for the Palestinians suffering from this violence.
None of the above excuses the murder by Hamas militants, of innocent Israeli families on October 7th or at any other time.
With regard to my mention of boycotting Israeli goods, I refer to the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign which was begun in 2005 by Palestinians advised by South Africans who had encouraged the anti-apartheid boycott in the 1970s until the establishment of democratic elections and majority rule in South Africa, in 1994.
I am sorry I mentioned that as it really has nothing to do with the Palestine Action prisoners. My part in it is totally insignificant - just a helpless, token gesture but as a wider movement the aim of the BDS campaign is to put pressure on the government of Israel to engage in finding a just solution to the conflict. There is no desire on the part of most people involved in this country, to bring Israel down (though I know that many Palestinians would wish to see the end of a state formed specifically for members of one religion, in this case Judaism).

I’m sorry to have gone on so long but I want to give as accurate information in reply to the posters responding to my post. I am grateful to those who have responded, whatever their quite legitimate reactions are to the campaigners who were certainly breaking the law and who seem to have been violent in response to their arrest. As has been pointed out, they have not yet come to trial due to the backlog of cases and, no doubt, the complexity of this one, so we cannot be sure of what happened. But when people who believe so strongly in their cause that they will cause damage to a business, knowing that they will end up in prison, further harm themselves, again to publicise the cause, surely we should be trying to understand their actions, even if we must condemn them?

Finally (for now) I recommend a film available on BBC iPlayer, “Holding Liat”, made by and about an American-Israeli family. Liat was taken hostage, along with her husband, when their kibbutz was attacked. Liat was eventually released and speaks out for the Palestinians, even after going through an experience which few of us can even imagine.

With reference to my post above, I have checked the information I have given to the best of my ability but if anyone spots any factual errors, please let me know.

Everyone is entitled to a fair trial with the presumption of innocence, but even so people suspected of the most serious crimes are always kept in custody.

These protesters were arrested at the scene of the crime which was inside a facility, armed with sledgehammers and recorded on CCTV and police bodycams. There is no doubt at all that they were present and had gained unlawful access to the site. It really isn't a case of mistaken identity or peaceful protest misinterpreted. They can try to justify their actions but their actions are actually fully recorded.
I really would welcome somebody saying what they think should happen in the case of hunger strikes with regards to those deciding to participate. Should they be force fed, should their demands be acceded to immediately, or should they be allowed to determine their own fate? I really don't see the difference between a hunger strike and the manipulative person who says in a relationship "if you don't or do x, y, z I'll kill myself" in order to get their own way.

Rosie51
You’re right, it’s a form of blackmail but won’t be ever given into.It’s their right to determine their own fate, but I don’t think in any case that they were near death, that’s a whopping exaggeration.

Littepicker
We can be sure what happened in the Elbit case.However much a person or a group believes in a cause in another country can never be an excuse for violence.This group also attacked two military planes at Brize Norton which had nothing to do with Gaza or the Palestinian cause. Whatever sentence they get is deserved.

Was not talking about the fact that they were being kept in remand.
Was asking why were their remand conditions worse than the remand conditions as ruled in law for pre trial detainees?
Rules are rules.
Laws are laws.
Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
As stated upthread, laws should be obeyed.

How are their remand conditions any different to other people charged with violent offences, Maremia?

Maggiemaybe

How are their remand conditions any different to other people charged with violent offences, Maremia?

Some are released on bail (frightening though that might seem, particularly for victims) but remand in custody is recommended if:

there are substantial grounds to believe that:
you will not come back to court [and/or]
you will commit an offence [and/or]
you will interfere with witnesses or obstruct the course of the case [and/or]
it is alleged you have committed this offence whilst on bail [and/or]
you have previously been released on conditional bail and have not kept to those conditions
sentencingcouncil.org.uk/pronouncement-builder/remand-in-custody-pre-conviction-either-way-indictable-offences/

Obviously it was considered, perhaps because police officers were injured, that was sufficient grounds or for other reasons.

Litterpicker

The difference has been that these accused,
but not yet convicted individuals,
kept in remand, because violence is in the charge sheet,
were denied some of the privileges allowed to similarly detained individuals.
No matter what they have done, no matter how we feel about what they have done, we live in a civilised country, under our rules and laws, and these should be followed.

What privilege have they been denied? Many prisoners are denied bail.

were denied some of the privileges allowed to similarly detained individuals.
No matter what they have done, no matter how we feel about what they have done, we live in a civilised country, under our rules and laws, and these should be followed.

Could you specify, please, Maremia, which rules and laws were not followed and which privileges these individuals were denied?

Oreo I could not agree more. I was gob smacked when I read some of their reqests, and what struck me most was their absolute arrogance. Some of them were so partisan and, in international terms, so trivial. They sounded like petulant under 5s

They wish to have the same access to mailing and communications as others remand prisoners.
They wish to have access to details of the charges against them, so they may prepare their defence.
These are some the rights of Remand detainees, that they are being denied.

I think they know what the charges are against them, and being denied mailing opportunities is probably to do with the nature of their aims, getting others to commit terrorist acts is a def possibility.
They aren’t just criminals per se are they, they are obsessed people who will commit criminal acts for their cause.

They would have been formally charged, the charges having been agreed with the CPS, before being remanded in custody. Probably bail would have been refused because of the seriousness of the offences. Injuring police personnel and damaging military property is not akin to shoplifting.

These are some the rights of Remand detainees, that they are being denied.
Or so they claim. Is that true?

Here are some of their demands:

What are their demands?
They include immediate bail, ending the ban on Palestine Action and stopping restrictions on their communications. The activists have also called for Elbit to be shut down.

Lawyers representing the group have criticised David Lammy, the deputy prime minister and justice secretary, for refusing to meet them, claiming he had failed to comply with the Ministry of Justice’s own policy on handling hunger strikes.

How has the government responded?

Keir Starmer has previously said “rules and procedures” were being followed after he faced questions in the Commons about why his ministers had refused to meet with representatives of those striking.

The prisons minister, James Timpson, said the service was “very experienced” at dealing with hunger strikes and has “robust and working” systems in place. He added that the Prison Service would “not be meeting” any prisoners or their representatives.

The Guardian
22/12/25

So they have not been denied access to legal representation, they are demanding that David Lammy meet their lawyer. Could that set a dangerous precedent whilst they are on remand.?

Palestine Action has not helped the Palestinians at all. Their demands are unreasonable.
Violence is never a way to promote a cause.
I hope they face severe penalties mostly for the violence against people.

They have not yet been to trial. We see various 'opinions' and 'facts' in the media. We have our own opinions, which we may express.
Legally accepted facts will be presented when they do come to trial.
Now that they have survived the 'hunger strike' that will happen.
Meanwhile, they are in Remand, are presumed innocent until found guilty, and should be treated accordingly.

Meanwhile, they are in Remand, are presumed innocent until found guilty, and should be treated accordingly.
Are you claiming they are not?

One worry was, I believe, that there was a risk of them absconding before a trial.
Unfortunately, there is a huge backlog in this country of cases waiting for trial dates. The delay in their case is not exceptional.