Protest at the British Consulate in Chicago
625 N Michigan Ave., Chicago
12 noon, January 5, 6, 7
Eight British citizens are imprisoned by the British state for their actions against their government’s support for Israeli mass murder of Palestinians. Britain has instituted laws to silence legitimate dissent, which has been widely condemned by lawyers, human rights experts and international organisations alike. The eight have been on hunger strikes for over 50 days. One Hunger striker lost her ability to speak, after 61 days without food.
The eight hunger strikers oppose the British Government’s arming Israel for mass murder in Gaza. They are now imprisoned without trial, some for more than a year. Some won’t go to trial until 2027. They demand the simple right to bail while awaiting a hearing. They all face unprecedented waits for trial, far in excess of Britain’s legal limit of 6 months.These young British citizens may soon die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence.
The eight hunger strikers face trial over charges linked to their work with Palestine Action, which the British government has banned under its Terrorism Act over direct action protests against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians.
Francesca Nadin, a spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine, says the harsh treatment of the hunger strikers is part of a “coordinated witch hunt that reflects the wider repression of the pro-Palestine movement” in Britain and around the world.
Over 50 members of the British Parliament have signed on to a letter calling on the Minister of Justice to meet with the lawyers representing the hunger strikers. Seven United Nations Human Rights Council officials have also objected to Britain’s denial of rights to the hunger strikers, and warned against criminalizing the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression, and the suppression of legitimate political dissent, including related to Palestine.
Please call or write: Consulate-General of the United Kingdom in Chicago, 625 N Michigan Ave., Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611. Or (312) 970.3800
Embassy of the United Kingdom in Washington, 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008. Or (202) 588.6500
Chicago ALBA Solidarity 