Three activists from the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action have consumed food for the first time in 73 days, ending a prolonged hunger strike they launched from within the UK prison system. The decision came after they claimed a significant victory: the failure of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK to win a substantial government contract.
A Landmark Hunger Strike Ends
Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, and Lewie Chiaramello announced they were halting their strike, which had surpassed the 66-day fast of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, who died in 1981. They joined fellow activists Teuta Hoxha, Jon Cink, Qesser Zuhrah, and Amy Gardiner-Gibson (known as Amu Gib) in receiving medical re-feeding treatment. This treatment, overseen by doctors, follows established guidelines for managing prisoners ending prolonged hunger strikes.
The group, calling themselves Prisoners for Palestine, stated their key demand was met when Elbit Systems UK lost out on a £2 billion contract to train approximately 60,000 British troops annually. They describe Elbit as one of Israel's largest weapons manufacturers and declared the contract loss means the firm's 'days are numbered' in Britain. The activists had also demanded the government lift a ban on Palestine Action, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2023.
Physical Toll and Legal Charges
The survival of more than two months without solid nutrition had severely impacted the protesters' health. Last week, 31-year-old Heba Muraisi, a lifeguard and florist originally from Yemen, was reported to be struggling to breathe and suffering muscle spasms indicating potential neurological damage. She told Metro she was 'terrified' of how her strike might end, stating: 'My body shakes, I get dizzy to the point of nausea and now breathing is getting hard. I am deteriorating in this cell, I am dying.'
The family of 29-year-old Teuta Hoxha also feared for her life as she endured continuous headaches and mobility issues. In total, eight activists participated in what became the largest hunger strike in the UK since 1981, sustained only by water and homemade electrolyte solutions.
Most of the strikers face serious charges including aggravated burglary, violent disorder, and criminal damage. These relate to an alleged break-in at Elbit Systems' Bristol site in August 2024, where protesters are accused of wielding sledgehammers and spraying fire extinguishers at security guards. One activist allegedly struck a female police officer, causing a fractured spine. Other charges stem from a separate incident where activists allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military planes.
Reactions and the Road Ahead
In a defiant statement, Prisoners for Palestine said: 'Our prisoners' hunger strike will be remembered as a landmark moment of pure defiance; an embarrassment for the British state. It exposed to the world Britain has political prisoners in service of a foreign genocidal regime... While these prisoners end their hunger strike, the resistance has just begun.'
Speaking after ending his fast, Lewie Chiaramello said: 'It is definitely a time for celebration... We do this because of Palestine, because we've been inspired, because we've been empowered to take action.' Fellow striker Amu Gib added a note of continued defiance: 'We have never trusted the government with our lives, and we will not start now. We will be the ones to decide how we give our lives to justice and liberation.'
The end of this extreme form of protest marks a critical juncture for the group, but their declaration suggests the campaign against Elbit's presence in the UK is far from over.
