All out in Manchester on Saturday 7th February, 12pm, Piccadilly Gardens, to honour the sacrifices of Palestinian prisoners and demand their freedom!
There are currently over 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails, including 350 children. Approximately 3,368 of them are administrative detainees held without a charge – a repressive policy designed by the British authorities during their colonial rule around the world, and passed onto Israel.
Since October 2023, the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners have deteriorated unimaginably with inhumane methods of torture and humiliation being inflicted upon them by the Zionist regime.
Just over 2 months ago, Mahmoud Talal Abdullah from the Jenin Refugee Camp was martyred at 49, after being diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer following his detainment. Not only was he denied treatment, the care he received for pre-existing health conditions was also cut off by the Israeli prisons.
Mahmoud’s story is not an anomaly, but one of many with the number of murdered prisoners since October 2023 reaching 94. The dehumanisation and imprisonment of Palestinians is not reserved to their lives, with Israel continuing to withhold the bodies of 87 prisoners, denying their loved ones the right to bid them farewell and bury them with dignity.
This doesn’t begin to describe the brutality faced by prisoners, like torture, starvation, overcrowding, prevention of products and visits, to name a few. This also doesn’t include the countless stories emerging from cage-like detention centres holding Gaza detainees, of the deprivation of water, food, sleep, as well as electrocutions, waterboarding and rape. Yet, all these are only the tip of the iceberg.
The mass imprisonment of Palestinians is not a mere byproduct of occupation but a calculated tool of subjugation. The Palestinian movement anywhere is incomplete without a continued focus on Palestinian prisoners – the compass of our struggle. So join us on Saturday!
