Massive Attack and Kneecap are calling on fans to contact David Lammy over hunger-striking Palestine Action prisoners in the UK.
Massive Attack and Kneecap have joined forces to publicly pressure the UK government over the treatment of Palestine Action protesters currently on hunger strike in prison. The artists have encouraged fans to contact Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy MP, calling for urgent intervention to protect the wellbeing of six as-of-yet unconvicted prisoners.
The call to action was shared on Instagram on December 22, alongside advocacy group Prisoners4Palestine. The post focuses on six protesters who are among a wider group of 24 accused in connection with actions carried out last year at Elbit Systems in Filton, near Bristol, as well as the ‘Brize Norton Five’.
“Right now the lives of 6 young non-violent protesters dangle in one man’s hands,” Massive Attack and Kneecap’s post reads. “Contact David Lammy MP urgently to demand an immediate humanitarian government intervention to safeguard the lives of unconvicted hunger strikers, on remand way beyond state limits.”
According to reporting by The Guardian, those charged in the Filton case are expected to stand trial in April next year on allegations including aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder. While the Crown Prosecution Service has stated there is a “terrorism connection,” no charges have been brought under the Terrorism Act.
Those linked to the Brize Norton protest, where two Voyager aircraft were damaged on June 20, were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK. Their trial is not scheduled until January 2027. Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for both incidents.
The Instagram post from Massive Attack and Kneecap goes on to accuse the current government of deliberately punishing activists who draw attention to UK support for Israel, stating: “The special performative cruelty the Starmer Government reserves for those who insist on highlighting its complicity in the Genocide in Gaza is at its most severe for the Filton 24.”
It concludes with a broader warning about political interference in the legal system: “It’s time for the criminal justice system itself to save its independence from state, and reject the clear politicisation of justice.”
Responding to requests for comment via NME, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending Lord Timpson rejected claims that prisoners were being denied medical care. “While very concerning, hunger strikes are not a new issue for our prisons,” he said, adding that healthcare teams provide NHS care and monitor the situation closely. He also stated that ministerial involvement would be “entirely unconstitutional and inappropriate.”
One of the prisoners’ demands is the removal of Palestine Action from the UK’s list of proscribed organisations. The group was banned under terrorism legislation in July, making membership or public support a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
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