A desperate vigil unfolded outside HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, stretching through the night and into the early morning. Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, joined a growing crowd of supporters, their faces etched with worry, all focused on one urgent plea: medical attention for Qesser Zuhrah, a prisoner on hunger strike for over 40 days.
Zuhrah, arrested in connection with protests targeting arms manufacturers, had reached a critical state. Supporters reported she could no longer stand and desperately needed hospital care. The prison, however, delayed, refusing to authorize an ambulance transfer for hours, a delay that fueled mounting fear and outrage among those gathered.
Sultana, refusing to leave, publicly implored Justice Secretary David Lammy and Wes Streeting to intervene. Her message was stark: Zuhrah’s life hung in the balance, and their inaction would bear a terrible responsibility. “If she dies, it will be on their hands,” she declared, her voice resonating with urgency.
The situation mirrored a larger protest unfolding within the UK prison system. Zuhrah is one of seven activists engaged in a hunger strike, the largest of its kind since 1981, when Bobby Sands and other Irish republicans made a similar, tragic stand. All are protesting prolonged pre-trial detention and expressing solidarity with Palestine.
The strain on the strikers is immense. Amu Gib, another participant, has lost 12 kilograms and is showing alarming signs of deterioration, yet remains steadfast. Each day brings increasing concern for their health, as doctors at the scene confirmed Zuhrah required immediate blood tests and scans unavailable within the prison walls.
As hours ticked by, tension mounted. Protestors, many wearing kefir scarves and waving Palestinian flags, chanted “Shame on you” at departing prison staff. The atmosphere was thick with emotion, a potent mix of anxiety, determination, and a deep sense of injustice.
Finally, an ambulance arrived, greeted by a wave of relief and tears. Cheers erupted as the vehicle, escorted by police, entered the prison grounds. Supporters, informed by Zuhrah’s family she was inside, embraced, their faces illuminated by a fragile hope.
But the relief was tempered by continued frustration. Baroness Jenny Jones, a Green Party peer, expressed bewilderment at the initial delay, questioning why prison authorities hadn’t immediately called for medical assistance. She highlighted the broader issue of lengthy pre-trial detention, calling it a tactic to suppress dissent.
Zuhrah, in a statement released through the Prisoners for Palestine campaign, offered a defiant message from within her confinement. She urged supporters to “flood the damn streets in your millions” and “shut down these factories in your thousands,” reaffirming her commitment to the Palestinian cause even from behind bars.
The prison service maintains that all inmates have access to healthcare and are managed according to established procedures. However, the events outside HMP Bronzefield served as a powerful reminder of the human cost of political activism and the urgent need for justice and compassion within the system.
