Belfast City councillors have passed a motion ‘in support of Pro-Palestine hunger strikers’ at a special meeting by 28 votes to 13.
The special meeting was moved by People Before Profit councillor Matthew Collins, and seconded by councillor Ronan McLaughlin of Sinn Féin. Councillors were given less than two hours notice of the meeting.
The motion in full reads: “Council notes with deep concern the ongoing hunger strike of 6 Palestine solidarity activists in Britain. Two of these activists, Qesser uhrah and Amu Gib, are on their 51st day of hunger strike and are consequently in critical condition.”
“Council calls on the British government to immediately allow medical access to all of the activists, to end the censorship of their communication from inside prison and, to enter negotiations in earnest to ensure the hunger strike can come to and end before lives are lost.”
“Council further calls on the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to intervene in their official capacity to relay these demands to the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Council, and the sizeable Palestinian community for whom Belfast is home.”
This comes after the council voted to raise the Palestine flag over City Hall earlier in December at another special meeting.
An emergency legal bid was then lodged in the High Court by TUV councillor Ann McClure, after her solicitors disputed the lawfulness of the ‘call-in’ mechanism that Sinn Féin used to get the special meeting to erect the flag. The application was denied by Mr Justice Humphreys.
Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin, who seconded the motion, has posted a statement on social media. He said: “Today, Belfast City Council voted in support of a motion calling on the British government to act immediately to resolve the ongoing hunger strike in British jails.”
“With every passing hour, this situation becomes more dangerous and places the lives of the prisoners involved at serious risk. The British government and the British Prime Minister must now show leadership and find an immediate resolution to this protest before lives are lost.”
The motion was criticised by DUP councillor Sarah Bunting, saying it “has nothing to do with the ratepayers of this city,” and the motion was “giving political concessions to activists linked to a proscribed organisation who have chosen to starve themselves to manipulate the justice system.”
“Nobody is denying them food, nobody is denying them medical treatment, and nobody is preventing them speaking through the legal channels that are there,” she added.
Councillor McCullough of the DUP asked the city solicitor, Nora Largey, why the meeting was allowed to go ahead, to which she replied: “The council will recall that we have had a number of debates and proposals that have been before the council this year in relation to events on the 7 October and the subsequent conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“In those circumstances it was my view that this matter was competent, and the motion does expressly refer to the citizens of Palestine who live in Belfast and are affected by some of the issues which members wish to discuss.”
Alliance councillors didn’t attend the meeting, instead issuing a statement: “This is a serious issue and one which requires proper discussion and consideration: that cannot be achieved at a council meeting convened at less than two hours’ notice.”
“Under the legislation, the recommended minimum notice for any council meeting is three days – that requirement is there for a reason, recognising that Councillors have work and childcare commitments that can’t be changed at the drop of a hat.”
“However, in Belfast, the Lord Mayor is able to override that to convene a meeting at any time and has done so tonight, to facilitate what will undoubtedly be another unseemly political spat, which does no justice to the seriousness of this issue.”
“Alliance has already placed its position on record regarding Israel and Gaza, and the party is writing to the UK government to emphasise the need for fair and humane treatment, and that all steps are taken to prevent any avoidable loss of life.”
