Belfast rallies for Palestine hunger strikers as memories of 1981 return
Al Jazeera••world
Key Points:
- Hundreds gathered in Belfast on New Year’s Eve to support Palestine Action activists on hunger strike in British prisons, highlighting the city's historical and ongoing solidarity with Palestinian and Irish republican causes.
- The four hunger strikers, affiliated with Palestine Action and accused of damaging military sites in the UK, are demanding bail, fair trial access, and the de-proscription of their group; their health is deteriorating after more than 40 days without food.
- The hunger strike draws explicit inspiration from the 1981 Irish hunger strikes, which resulted in multiple deaths and shifted public opinion on political prisoners, with local activists warning that some current hunger strikers may die if the strike continues.
- Ireland has shown strong political support for Palestine, recognizing its state
