The so-called ‘mainstream’ media finally broke their long silence last night, 17 December, on the ‘Filton 24’ anti-genocide activists held by the Starmer government as political prisoners. Eight of the group are on hunger strike in protest against the complete contempt for justice they are being shown. Hunger strikers have long been waiting for this, and it was unadulterated bullshit.
Channel 4 News either left out or misrepresented the supposed crimes the group is charged with and the length of time they have been imprisoned without trial. It repeatedly failed to state that their target was an Israeli weapons manufacturer whose drones Israel is still using to slaughter Palestinian civilians in Gaza. It also erased Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the Starmer regime’s wider “lawfare” war on journalism and free speech that exposes it.
Hunger strikers media coverage a disgrace
And Channel 4 News also omitted the fact that Bronzefield prison only called an ambulance for dying hunger-striker Qesser Zuhrah after an all-day protest by her supporters and doctors outside the prison gates. It also failed to mention that police then attacked the protesters and arrested at least one of the doctors — who just happened to be the only Black person in the crowd.
Fortunately, rapper Bobby Vylan didn’t miss the BS:
View this post on Instagram
In a response to Vylan’s post, activist Ani.says2 told him:
I cannot describe to you how broken I feel today. My head is echoing with our pleas for an ambulance. I’m haunted by the visions of prison staff who were laughing and mocking us.
Watching a black doctor plea relentlessly to save a woman’s life and then being brutally and viciously arrested is haunting me. I haven’t even been able to find the words to articulate myself to even make a video talking about this.
I am so proud of every human that stood with us yesterday. You are the best of humanity xx
The BBC and other ‘Main Stream Media’, however, continue to ignore the protest and the government’s war on UK rights and democracy to protect Israel. Lammy and his boss Keir Starmer continue to refuse even to meet MPs and lawyers representing the hunger-strikers and the rest of their group, or even to acknowledge their existence. As the Filton activists and their supporters represent the best of humanity, Starmer and Lammy and the Israeli regime they are shoring up represent the worst.
Featured image via Barold
By Skwawkbox
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