Protesters say David Lammy is ignoring warnings over deteriorating health of eight hunger strikers awaiting trial
Pro-Palestine demonstrators have daubed the Ministry of Justice building in central London with red paint, demanding that the justice secretary meet eight Palestine Action-affiliated hunger strikers.
Two protesters were arrested after Fridays action, the activists said. They are demonstrating over the treatment of hunger strikers who are due to be held for more than a year before standing trial.
They said they sprayed the building with red paint intended to symbolise blood.
We have brought the matter to [the justice secretary] David Lammy because he continues to ignore the friends and family, the lawyers of the hunger strikers. He ignores the fact that their lives are at imminent danger, one of the demonstrators said in a video posted online.
They were supporting what is believed to be the biggest such action in the UK since the hunger strike by IRA prisoners led by Bobby Sands . Nearly 30 Palestine Action-affiliated activists await trial on a range of charges. Twenty-four have been accused in relation to an action last year at Elbit Systems 67in Filton, near Bristol, while five others have been charged over a protest at Brize Norton.
67The Filton 24 are scheduled to be tried on charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder. While the Crown Prosecution Service has said there is a terrorism connection, no charges have been brought under the Terrorism Act.
A trial in the Brize Norton case has been scheduled for January 2027. All 29 are accused of participating in actions that occurred before Palestine Action was proscribed .
On Thursday, the independent MP Jeremy Corbyn called Lammys refusal to meet outrageous. He said he had written to the justice secretary on 20 November to discuss his constituent Amu Gib, who is on day 41 of a hunger strike. In response to Corbyns letter, Lammy said the safety of prisoners remains our paramount concern.
Without bail, two of the hunger strikers C Heba Muraisi and Kamran Ahmed C are due to be held on remand for 19 months before trial. Four others C Gib, Jon Cink, Lewie Chiaramello and Muhammad Umer Khalid C will have spent 18 months awaiting trial, while Qesser Zuhrah and Teuta Hoxha are expected to spend 17 months in custody before their court date.
Gib and Zuhrah have been on hunger strike for 41 days, while Muraisi is on day 40, with Cink, Hoxha and Ahmed on days 37, 34 and 33 respectively. Chiaramello has been striking for 19 days, and Khalid for nine. Five of the group have been taken to hospital so far, the activists have said.
Scotland Yard said officers were called at 7.35am on Friday after protesters began spraying paint on the front of the building. Both protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, police said.
Asked if Lammys position was still to refuse a meeting, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: Vandalising public property is totally unacceptable and puts unnecessary costs on the police and British taxpayers.
His Majestys Prison and Probation Service have assured ministers that all cases of prisoner food refusal are being managed in accordance with the relevant policy, and with appropriate medical assessment and support, consistent with prisoner rights.
抗议者称，戴维·拉米无视八名候审绝食者健康状况恶化的警告
支持巴勒斯坦的示威者用红色油漆涂污了位于伦敦市中心的司法部大楼，要求司法大臣会见八名与"巴勒斯坦行动"组织有关的绝食抗议者。
活动人士称，在上周五的抗议行动后，有两名示威者被捕。此次示威活动旨在抗议对绝食者的处置方式，这些绝食者在接受审判前将被关押超过一年。
他们表示，自己用象征鲜血的红色油漆喷涂了该建筑。
一位示威者在网络发布的视频中表示："我们已向司法大臣戴维·拉米提出此事，因为他持续无视绝食者的亲友及律师。他漠视这些人的生命正面临迫在眉睫的危险。"
他们正在支持一场据信是自鲍比·桑兹（Bobby Sands）领导的爱尔兰共和军囚犯绝食抗议以来英国最大规模的此类行动。近30名与"巴勒斯坦行动"组织有关联的激进分子正面临多项指控等待审判。其中24人因去年在布里斯托尔附近菲尔顿的埃尔比特系统公司（Elbit Systems）的行动受到指控，另有5人因在布莱兹诺顿的抗议活动被起诉。
菲尔顿24人团伙因涉嫌严重入室盗窃、刑事毁坏及暴力骚乱等罪名将接受审判。尽管英国皇家检察署表示此案存在'恐怖主义关联'，但尚未根据《反恐法案》提出指控。
布莱兹诺顿案庭审已定于2027年1月进行。29名被告均被指控参与巴勒斯坦行动组织被列为非法组织前发生的活动。
周四，无党派议员杰里米·科尔宾（Jeremy Corbyn）谴责拉米拒绝会面的行为“令人愤慨”。他表示已于11月20日致函司法大臣，商讨其选区选民阿穆·吉布（Amu Gib）绝食第41天的情况。针对科尔宾的来信，拉米回应称囚犯安全“始终是我们的首要关切”。
在未获保释的情况下，两名绝食抗议者——赫芭·穆拉伊西（Heba Muraisi）和卡姆兰·艾哈迈德（Kamran Ahmed）——将在审判前被还押候审19个月。另外四人——吉布（Gib）、乔恩·辛克（Jon Cink）、卢伊·基亚拉梅洛（Lewie Chiaramello）和穆罕默德·乌梅尔·哈立德（Muhammad Umer Khalid）——将等待审判18个月，而凯塞尔·祖拉（Qesser Zuhrah）和特乌塔·霍查（Teuta Hoxha）则预计在开庭前被拘留17个月。
据活动人士透露，吉卜和祖拉已绝食41天，穆莱西持续到第40天，辛克、霍查和艾哈迈德分别坚持了37天、34天和33天。基亚拉梅洛绝食19天，哈立德则为9天。截至目前，该团体中已有五人被送医治疗。
伦敦警察厅表示，周五早上7点35分，警方接到报警，称抗议者开始在大楼正面喷涂油漆。警方称，两名抗议者因涉嫌刑事毁坏已被逮捕。
当被问及拉米（Lammy）是否仍拒绝会面时，司法部发言人表示："破坏公共财产的行为完全不可接受，这不仅给警方带来额外负担，也让英国纳税人承担了不必要的开支。"
英国皇家监狱与缓刑管理局向大臣们保证，所有囚犯绝食案例均依照相关政策进行管理，并提供适当的医疗评估与支持，确保与囚犯权利保持一致。