“Prisoners for Palestine” — A Mass Hunger Strike Shakes British Prisons on the Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration

In an unprecedented scene inside British prisons, dozens of political detainees have announced the launch of a mass hunger strike beginning on November 2, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in protest of what they described as “political persecution” for supporting the Palestinian resistance and opposing Britain’s complicit policies with the Zionist entity.

This move comes at a moment of deep symbolic meaning — coinciding with the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which laid the groundwork for the occupation of Palestine. The strike, therefore, carries a dual message to Britain: first, a reminder of its historic responsibility for the Palestinian Nakba; and second, a rejection of its current policies that continue to support genocide in Gaza and shield the crimes of the occupation.

The Largest Political Strike Since the 1980s

The group “Prisoners for Palestine” announced that this would be the largest political hunger strike in British prison history since the 1981 Irish prisoners’ strike. Participants include detainees from the Filton 24 and Brize Norton 5 groups, who have been held under the so-called Terrorism Act without formal charges for over a year.

The prisoners addressed a letter to the British Home Secretary, signed by 33 inmates, outlining five key demands — chief among them:

• Ending the heavy censorship of correspondence and communication.

• Immediate release of all detainees.

• Ensuring the right to fair trials.

• Removing Pal Action from the list of terrorist organizations.

• Shutting down all Elbit Systems weapons facilities operating within the UK.

“Resistance Behind Bars” — Prisons Turn Into a Frontline

Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE International, stated that the hunger strike is a response to the structural violence of the British prison system and the government’s complicity in genocide in Gaza, adding that what is happening today “represents a continuation of the resistance from inside British prison cells.”

Charlotte Kates, international coordinator of the Samidoun Network for Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity, said the detainees “are being persecuted because they stand against the Zionist killing machine and break the silence of the complicit West,” calling for broad popular and political mobilization in their support.

From the Balfour Declaration to Prison Walls — Justice Deferred

Activists note that the timing of the strike, on the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, is no coincidence, but rather a direct indictment of Britain’s historic role in the creation of the Zionist entity — a role it continues today through military and political support for Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

The strike also reflects a growing global consciousness about the nature of the conflict, as the Palestinian cause has evolved into a universal moral and humanitarian benchmark, even within nations that have long claimed to uphold democracy and freedom of expression.

Inspiration and Precedent

The detainees draw inspiration from former prisoner Teuta Hoxha, who led a 28-day hunger strike and succeeded in winning most of her demands from prison authorities — an act that inspired others to expand the scope of nonviolent resistance from within the prison system.

Observers describe this movement as a turning point in Western public awareness, shifting the confrontation with the Zionist entity from the streets to the heart of British legal and security institutions, exposing the double standards of the West, which jails the freedom fighters but celebrates the war criminals.

Expanding Solidarity — A Voice That Cannot Be Silenced

The upcoming strike sends a resounding message to Britain, Washington, and Tel Aviv: the voice of Palestine now echoes everywhere — even behind bars — and no campaign of censorship or criminalization will succeed in silencing the rising global wave of awareness against occupation.

From the besieged streets of Gaza to the cold cells of Britain, voices unite to declare:
Freedom for Palestine… and glory to the resisters, everywhere.