Labour’s Newcastle HQ targeted over hunger strikes

Activists have targeted the HQ of the Labour party in Newcastle. This occurred in a pre-dawn anti-genocide action this morning.

The windows were left shattered and the building was spray-painted with slogans reading “Free Gaza” — expressing support for anti-genocide activists held as political prisoners by the Starmer government:

Echoes of Brickgate

The broken windows are reminiscent of the Brickgate scandal when a brick was said to have torn through the window of Wallasey MP Angela Eagle’s office. Right-wing, pro-Israel factions within the Labour Party blamed the attack on supporters of Jeremy Corbyn. At the time, no supporting evidence was provided.

These same forces, as the Canary has previously reported, used Brickgate to divert attention from Labour’s stance on Palestine, and Eagle’s challenge to Corbyn’s leadership.

In reality, no brick was found, and the broken window wasn’t even in Eagle’s office as her supporters had claimed. Police never identified who had damaged the window in a nearby office. This office was located on an alley between two busy pubs.

Imran Ahmed, who was Eagle’s office manager at the time, has just been deported from the US by Trump. A leaked email showed Ahmed was actively seeking pro-Israel funding at the time. The funding aimed to smear pro-Palestine campaign groups.

Labour’s free-speech stranglehold

Labour PM Keir Starmer is waging a ‘lawfare’ war on pro-Palestine speech, which has impacted campaigners as well as journalists — sacrificed to protect Israel’s interests.

The Filton 24 activists have been imprisoned without trial for more than 18 months for causing damage to an Israeli arms factory.

Many face jail for another year or more before their case is heard. Eight hunger-strikers have refused to eat for up to seven weeks in protest at their blatant political imprisonment. Five are still refusing food in protest.

But hey, who cares about the right to protest when you’re too busy protecting powerful political alliances, right?

Featured image via the Canary