What should happen about the hunger strikers?

[noblegiraffe]

There are a group of people currently on remand in prison awaiting trial for criminal activities taken in support of the (currently) proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action. Some of them have gone on hunger strike and are suffering health impacts and some have been hospitalised.

Their demands appear to be:
to be released on bail
for Palestine Action to be de-proscribed as a terrorist group
for the UK to stop selling arms to Israel

I'm seeing various MPs writing earnest letters to David Lammy as Justice Secretary, saying that he must meet with them urgently to discuss their demands.

And then what?

It should go without saying that I really don't want people to die, and I'm sure that their families must be frantic, but what is actually expected to happen here? The proscription of Palestine Action is being appealed in the courts and I don't think people threatening to kill themselves should impact the democratic process.

Being released on bail? While I agree that it is shocking that they have been held in prison for 2 years while awaiting trial, because the justice system should work faster than that, they are active members of a currently proscribed terrorist organisation. At least one of the hunger strikers took part in the attack on Elbit where a female police officer had her back broken by one of the activists who attacked her with a sledgehammer while she lay on the ground. There's plenty of video footage of this, and I don't think the hunger strikers have condemned it. If they did get bail by threatening to kill themselves, surely everyone would then give it a go?

So what should happen?

Nothing should be done, just provide the same meals and medical care/advice as other criminals receive and leave it up to them what to do with it. There’s nothing particularly special about being below average intelligence and narcissistic and ending up in prison, it’s pretty much the two main predictive factors.

Surely their choice, and if these people were force fed then there would be loud weeping and wailing about their 'human rights' vs the state. No government would want to touch this.

They're enthusiastic members of a currently proscribed terrorist organisation. That should probably be taken into account when deciding whether they may commit more crimes if on bail.

This self harming behaviour happens every days in prisons around the world, sometimes it's mental health, sometimes it's pure manipulation.

This is pure manipulation.

They need to stay in prison unless we also want to start releasing people charged with murder / human traffickers / drugs importers / every scrote on bail whilst they await trial.

It was not proscribed when they were arrested.

Have they disavowed the group now that they are proscribed and condemned the violent actions of the group who broke the police officer's spine?

Or are they still enthusiastic supporters?

I mean, they're part of the reason the group was proscribed.

It’s not about the threat of individuals. PA attacked a Uk military facility. I completely support it therefore being labelled as a terrorist organisation, even though I very much support Gaza. As an organisation they fucked up and are now banned. New, more peaceful protest organisations will have to take over.

I don’t think anything should be done apart from let the justice system carry on as normal. If they choose to starve that’s on them.

That's hardly fair on others waiting a long time for trial.

Exactly, this attack was horrendous. I’ve seen the video footage. I’m amazed they didn’t kill anyone. They’re violent thugs and i wouldn’t shed a tear if they did drop down dead.

I feel sorry for the families of these cretins. I'm guessing a fair number will be degree educated.

Whilst all deaths are tragic, to a certain extent FAFO.

Exactly, they’re not a special case. They’re just attention seeking idiots. If they want to starve themselves, then let them.

None of those being held on remand were arrested just for sitting on the pavement holding signs. They have not been charged with being members of PA. They are all charged with various criminal offences including criminal damage and conspiracy to commit criminal damage and enter a prohibited place. Just because some of them are nice middle class young men and women doesn’t mean they should be set free on bail to continue their very dangerous actions.
I don’t know about you, but I personally don’t think attacking someone with a weapon so hard that you broke their back is grounds for giving them bail. Neither should those who caused ££££££’s of damage to RAF planes, the same planes that our country use to defend itself, should be granted bail either.
These actions were not one off things, accidents or just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were planned, and designed to cause severe damage. FAFO.

Only unhinged people do this tbh. I can think of heavier miscarriages of justice where the prisoners just get on with it because they are not crazy, even if their sentence was unfair (Lucy Connolly is one example).

Just another example of left vs right showing who they are.

For sure.

But it's not their fault they can't get a quick, or relatively quick trial. And even if it is the accused who are forcing the delay, they still have a right to protest. And their MPs do have a right to meeting the ministers.

If there is a flaw in the justice system, people should have the right to campaign for the flaws to be fixed.

I am not saying I support their cause, but I do support their right to protest against extended remand, and I definitely support their MPs right to have their questions answered.

They used to force feed Ian Huntley didn’t they? Was he deemed to not have capacity?

and I think IRA prisoners used to go on hunger strike quite a bit back in the day, not sure if anyone actually died. I think it must be quite hard to fight the urge to have something 🤷‍♀️

Violent members of a proscribed terrorist organisation.

If they think being on hunger strike is going to make respectable people sympathise with them I suggest they’ve badly read the room.

What is the punishment for breaking someone’s back with a sledgehammer? Whatever it is, all their supporters can be given that sentence. That might shut these vile people up.

And let the hunger strikers rot.

A lot of them did die @PodMom

1981 Irish hunger strike - Wikipedia https://share.google/AKeHRNgurcnbr7AAN

Thank you. I was quite young at the time so only very vague recollection. So the govt didn’t give in to demands then, hopefully they won’t now.

Quote : "Just another example of left vs right showing who they are."

I don't see the connection here.

Unless you mean that because Starmer is apparently a secret Marxist/ communist, he want's to lock people up and vanish them. Because that is what happens in communist countries.

Compared to Trump on the right, who pardons insurrectionists, corrupt officials etc.

Is that what you mean ?

No sorry I meant that the left seem more and more to behave childishly and throw tantrums to try and get their way. (No offence to actual children here ofc. I'm talking about grown adults).

See also trans rights activists.

Before my time also, only just been reading about it because of this latest story.

I don’t think middle class prisoners hold any more importance than any other

follow the policy you do with the prolific shoplifter, rapist, armed robber or tax evader. Treatment, hospital, observation.