West Donegal solidarity protest backing hunger strikers in the UK set for Saturday

A solidarity protest backing hunger strikers in the UK will be held at Croithli Bridge on Saturday, December 27 at 12pm.

The strike by imprisoned members of the proscribed group Palestine Action has entered a critical phase, with medical professionals warning of imminent fatalities.

To date, four activists remain on strike, led by Heba Muraisi, who has now surpassed 50 days without food.

The protesters, currently held on remand in various UK facilities, are demanding immediate bail and the deproscription of Palestine Action, which was designated a terrorist organisation by the Home Office in July 2025.

“In Ireland, we have a deep understanding of the impact of the hunger strike,” Donegal county councillor Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig says.

“Over the years, 23 Irishmen have died refusing food while imprisoned. We are only too well aware of this aspect of our history and much of it within living memory. Here, many of us recall campaigning during the 1970s in support of local men Pat Ward and Donall De Barra. And of course, we remember the Trojan work we did on behalf of Bobby Sands and his gallant comrades in the H-Blocks.

“At the moment, there are young people on hunger strike in England demanding justice. Those on hunger strike have been imprisoned for highlighting British complicity in the genocide being carried out against the Palestinian people of Gaza.

“As we have seen so often in Ireland, the British government, with its usual hypocrisy, has attempted to deem its critics as terrorists and all the while itself posing as the upholder of law.

“This, despite Westminster supplying Benjamin Netanyahu’s murderous regime with weapons manufactured in Britain and providing intelligence gathered by the British air force flying over Gaza.

“We have undoubtedly an obligation to support in every way we can those brave young people on hunger strike in Britain today. Some of them are now over 50 days without food and are facing a very dangerous phase in their protest. Their cause is just, and their demands are justified. Let us all do what we can to ensure they do not die.”

The strike has sparked significant international outcry and renewed civil unrest across the country. On December 23, climate activist Greta Thunberg was among dozens arrested during a solidarity protest in London.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing the strikers have launched a High Court challenge against the government, accusing officials of failing to adhere to mandatory safety protocols for prisoners refusing food. Despite these pressures, Justice Secretary David Lammy has maintained that the government will not intervene in independent judicial proceedings.

Health concerns have reached a breaking point as the strike continues through the holiday season. While four participants recently suspended their strikes after approximately 48 days due to medical emergencies, those remaining face the immediate risk of permanent organ failure.