Last Saturday, pro-Palestine protestors marched through Leeds city centre on behalf of eight UK prisoners on hunger strike. The march, organised by Leeds Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Prisoners for Palestine, demanded the Deputy PM and Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy engage with the hunger strikers as their situation is now “critical.”
It is believed to be the largest hunger strike in the UK since the 1981 Irish hunger strike, when ten IRA prisoners including Bobby Sands died of starvation. The eight prisoners are Qesser Zuhrah, 20; Amu Gib, 30; Teuta Hoxha, 29; Umer Khalid and Lewie Chiaramello, both 22; Kamran Ahmed, 28; Heba Muraisi, 30, and Jon Cink, 24. Mr Cink and Mr Khalid ended their strikes earlier this week. The youngest prisoner Miss Zuhrah has been hospitalised after refusing food for over 47 days.
The prisoners are known for their association with proscribed organisation Palestine Action which was designated a terrorist group by the UK government in July 2025. They have been charged with non-terror offences related to their alleged involvement in direct action.
Leeds activist Uzma Bashir, 55, said that the prisoners were facing a “life or death” situation. “We want David Lammy to step up and do the right thing,” said Mrs Bashir.
While the Ministry of Justice has responded, David Lammy has been heavily criticised for not engaging with the strikers or their demands. MPs Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn have spoken out against the Deputy PM while Labour MP John McDonnell warned Mr Lammy of “potential tragedy” if he does not intervene.
Prisoners have alleged “systematic abuse” including refusal of medical attention during their time in prison, citing this as one of the reasons behind their strike. A spokesperson for one of the prisons, HMP Bronzefield, stated that participating prisoners receive “regular medical assessment and support from clinicians, as well as being offered mental health support.”
Mark Sewards, MP Leeds South West and Morley and Parliamentary Chair for Labour Friends of Israel, commented:
“The right to protest is a fundamental and precious right in our democracy. However, that right doesn’t extend to the kind of violent and intimidatory behaviour in which Palestine Action and its supporters have repeatedly engaged. In place of such tactics, the road to a lasting peace in Israel, Palestine and a two-state solution lies in fostering trust, dialogue, and coexistence.”
Leeds MP Alex Sobel, whose constituency is where Saturday’s march took place, was also reached for comment but has yet to respond.