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?

And my apology? Maybe don’t jump in without reading in future.

Stop the War are apparently having a protest in support of the hunger strikers, appealing to David Lammy to send them home to their families.

So apparently their cause is 'we want bail'.

And that's silly, the justice secretary can't just grant bail to people on remand because they're starving themselves.

Not attacking British planes claiming that they are used to refuel Israeli bombers when they are not?

I wonder if attacking British national security at this time of extremely heightened international tension should possibly be considered as treason. I have literally no time for it.

I think the inference she’s drunk just because she’s Irish is a step too far.

I appreciate sometimes it feels like a constant onslaught of anti English sentiment generally to which we have no right of reply, but I really couldn’t see an issue with what was posted by serendipity and I think we should stop derailing now.

Exactly this.

I'm sure the other 17,000 held on remand would also like bail. Should they go on 'hunger strike' too?

The only sea Ireland is on the east of is the Atlantic Ocean

So fucking stupid. Leave people to their own ridiculous decisions.

What a disgusting thread, ffs.

Why?

Oh did someone ask for their geographical error to be deleted? 😂

These “hunger striker” people are not the same as those who attacked BAE planes because when they attacked a contractor they seriously injured a police officer, and when they attacked planes it was actual UK military planes.

Seriously, I’m astounded that anyone thinks it’s okay to attack the UK military and police officers. I honestly don’t care what the “justification” is. And I suspect a jury would feel very differently now (when there’s a credible threat to us from within Europe) vs 1996 when the possibility of war on UK soil was unimaginable.

Regardless, I don’t think the British government should pander to ridiculous demands. If an adult has capacity they have the right to refuse all medical treatment, food, water. Same as they’ve the right to eat unhealthy food when morbidly obese, the right to buy 5 bottles of whisky and drink them in one afternoon and a billion other things. Adults have the right to make poor health decisions. I’d rather live with that than a state which felt it had rights over my body.

I report it. She was being racist against Irish people and that’s unacceptable.

Your information is incorrect.
The hunger strikers attacked Elbit System planes.
Elbit is an Israeli defence company that supplies a range of military technologies, including drones and other equipment used by the Israeli military.
They claim their weapons are “battle tested” …on Palestinians.

They also protested at Brize Norton where British military aircraft (including tankers/refuellers) are based — because those aircraft are used in UK/coalition operations in the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Their public statements explicitly link these protests to opposition to the bombardment and blockade of Gaza and to highlight the UK’s complicity

LOL This makes absolutely no sense.

I would have left it. I found it hilarious that someone who has such a poor opinion of Ireland doesn’t even know which direction it’s in.

I really wish UK would stop selling arms to Israel but I don't think a hunger strike is going to do the trick unfortunately.

No, your information is inaccurate.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/palestine-group-attacks-raf-base-damages-voyager-aircraft/

"The group claimed the aircraft were involved in operations supporting Israeli military action in Gaza, but defence sources dismissed this as “totally inaccurate.” RAF Voyagers based at Brize Norton are primarily used to support Operation Shader, the UK’s ongoing mission against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. An RAF source familiar with current deployments said: “This attack was utterly pointless. The aircraft targeted are not used in support of Israeli forces. The UK operates independently and Israel has no requirement for British tankers — they operate their own fleet. The claims made by the group show a complete misunderstanding of how RAF operations work.”

Palestine Action's claims that the planes were used to refuel Israeli bombers is completely wrong as they use different refueling systems.

And the policewoman?

I agree.

Why?

Well, I've just read something interesting. One of those who was held on remand for the Elbit systems attack where the policewoman was bludgeoned with a sledgehammer, Sam Middleborough, was allowed out of prison to attend a wedding, and has done a runner.

"“I am not on the run. I am merely being sensible, refusing to be held as a prisoner of war of Israel in a British prison,” Middlebrough said in a statement obtained and verified by The Electronic Intifada. “Outrageously, 23 of my heroic and honorable co-defendants remain in prison following our kidnapping by counterterrorism police.”

So clearly they shouldn't be granted bail as they, as a group, present a clear flight risk if nothing else.

Who casually drops in an article from a UK defence journal in a discussion thread against hunger strikers?
You seem extremely well prepared? Should you be declaring any allegiance to any interested parties. I notice you are very vocal on any topic to do with Israel and Gaza? Is someone paying you?
I am an interested housewife doing my own research.

I will go away, read what you published and respond

😂 who does that fool think he is

He sounds a total clown