New Yorkers come out in support of hunger strikers while our own MPs barely acknowledge it

On 18 December, Labour MP for Brent West Barry Gardiner pressed the solicitor general to release the Filton 24 hunger striker prisoners:

Today I suggested to the Solicitor General that, after a year on remand, my constituents on hunger strike should be released on bail with appropriate tagging. pic.twitter.com/JJC7n8WGwp

— Barry Gardiner MP (@BarryGardiner) December 18, 2025

Justice delayed for hunger strike prisoners

Gardiner started by echoing his opponent’s own words:

The solicitor general is absolutely right to say that justice delayed is justice denied.

Hey, remember when justice secretary David Lammy was banging on about the tragedy of delaying justice just a few weeks back? Of course, he wanted to use it as an excuse to roll back the right to trial by jury. But clearly this is an issue that’s near and dear to ministers’ hearts.

Gardiner went on:

My constituent, Qesser Zuhrah, has been on remand in prison now for over a year. Two of my other constituents, Heba Muraisi and Lewie Chiaramello, have also been on remand awaiting coming to trial. They have been accused of offences, none of which are violence against the person. But all three are now on hunger strike.

As a reminder, the statutory limit for holding a prisoner on remand – that is, awaiting trial – is six months. The fact that the Filton 24 have already been held for a year for what amounts to property damage is a clear miscarriage of justice.

Or at least, it would be in a functioning justice system – as Gardiner pointed out:

Would it not be much more sense, much more efficient for the criminal justice system, and quite honestly, a humanitarian gesture to allow these three to be released, with tagging and appropriate monitoring, to face trial in due course?

The speaker stopped the solicitor general from replying, stating that:

The point’s been made, I think it’s on the record.

Parliament has more important things to consider, clearly. Lammy, Starmer and the rest of anti-Palestine Labour have certainly been trying their damn hardest to ignore the issue of the hunger strikes.

‘Political imprisonment and repression at home’

Fortunately, whilst our own MPs – less 51 – are doing their best to bury the issue, the hunger strike is only gaining attention elsewhere. In fact, on Monday 15 December, supporters of the strike staged a picket outside of the UK Consulate in New York.

🇵🇸 FREE THEM ALL: NYC PICKET & RALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE UK HUNGER STRIKERS
🗓️ Monday December 15, 2025
🕓 4 PM
📍 UK Consulate, 855 2nd Ave New York, NY

Right now 8 political prisoners for Palestine in the UK are on hunger strike, risking their lives to resist the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/b4WvGMBdVU

— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) December 14, 2025

Activist groups Within Our Lifetime and Writers Against the War on Gaza organised the protest. Within Our Lifetime explained that: 

Right now 8 political prisoners for Palestine in the UK are on hunger strike, risking their lives to resist the ongoing genocide in Palestine and political imprisonment and repression at home.

Pro-Palestine groups helped publicise the call to action on social media:

Within Our Lifetime and WAWOG are calling for a picket and rally in New York City in support of the eight UK-based Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike.

The event is scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, at 4 PM outside the UK Consulate, 855 2nd Ave,… pic.twitter.com/Qhlf8yCMtz

— Palestine Info Center (@palinfoen) December 15, 2025

The Palestine Info Center echoed that:

The hunger strikers, known as the Filton 24, have been imprisoned without trial for over a year for resisting the UK’s role in supplying Israeli weapons, particularly through Elbit Systems, which have been used in repeated attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

NEW | Within Our Lifetime and WAWOG are calling for a picket and rally in New York City in support of the eight UK-based Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike.

The event is scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, at 4 PM outside the UK Consulate, 855 2nd… pic.twitter.com/8Kfc7sOrXh

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 15, 2025

Quds News Network also included:

The rally seeks to demand the release of the Filton 24, all Palestinian prisoners, an end to political repression, the shutdown of Elbit Systems, and the de-proscription of Palestine Action.

‘They’re putting themselves on the line’

Middle East Eye covered the protest over the hunger strike itself:

“They’re putting themselves on the line.”

New Yorkers gathered outside the UK embassy on Monday, calling for the release of Palestine Action activists jailed without trial for more than a year.

Eight prisoners have been on hunger strike for over 45 days, with five hospitalised pic.twitter.com/C7APJzSRZJ

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 18, 2025

The protesters sang familiar chants of:

You can’t, you can’t hide – you’re committing genocide

The MEE reporting highlighted the fact that the Filton hunger strike is the largest such action since the IRA hunger strike led by Bobby Sands in the ’80s.

It is a damning indictment of the justice system in the UK that the Filton 24 had to take action in the first place. Elbit – the factory targeted by the 24’s action – is directly arming Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. In a society with any sense of decency, Elbit would not have factories on our shores.

It’s a further shame that the Filton 24 are being held past the 6-month limit, nevermind the fact they’re being held at all. There is no justice in that, delayed or otherwise.

And, last but not least, it is a black mark on our parliament that even New Yorkers 3,000 miles away have recognised this injustice, when our own parliament refuses to even acknowledge that anything is amiss.

Free the Filton 24.

Featured image via the Canary