Adrian Short
@adrianshort.uk
„ייִדן, שרײַבט און פֿאַרשרײַבט!“ -- שמעון דובנאָװ.
פּראָנאָמען: ער/אים. 🕎
פּראָנאָמען: ער/אים. 🕎
They can apply to a court at any time to be released on bail. Government ministers can neither order them to be released nor block their release.
January 12, 2026 at 11:43 PM
They can apply to a court at any time to be released on bail. Government ministers can neither order them to be released nor block their release.
I'm well aware there's a much wider context here. But it literally just does come down to carrying on with the hunger strike and dying, or stopping and hopefully living. No-one's forcing them either way.
If they think that dying is a price worth paying then it will be a price they end up paying.
If they think that dying is a price worth paying then it will be a price they end up paying.
January 12, 2026 at 11:27 PM
I'm well aware there's a much wider context here. But it literally just does come down to carrying on with the hunger strike and dying, or stopping and hopefully living. No-one's forcing them either way.
If they think that dying is a price worth paying then it will be a price they end up paying.
If they think that dying is a price worth paying then it will be a price they end up paying.
You may have noticed a few stories in the news about Israel and Palestine in the last couple of years. It's not as if the general public doesn't have a pretty good idea what's going on.
They can choose to continue or choose to stop. It's up to them whether they think literally dying is worth it.
They can choose to continue or choose to stop. It's up to them whether they think literally dying is worth it.
January 12, 2026 at 11:19 PM
You may have noticed a few stories in the news about Israel and Palestine in the last couple of years. It's not as if the general public doesn't have a pretty good idea what's going on.
They can choose to continue or choose to stop. It's up to them whether they think literally dying is worth it.
They can choose to continue or choose to stop. It's up to them whether they think literally dying is worth it.
Go and ask their lawyers why they haven't made an application for reconsideration of bail.
There are 18,000 people on remand right now in England and Wales. If you could hunger strike your way out of prison there'd be no point sending anyone there in the first place.
There are 18,000 people on remand right now in England and Wales. If you could hunger strike your way out of prison there'd be no point sending anyone there in the first place.
January 12, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Go and ask their lawyers why they haven't made an application for reconsideration of bail.
There are 18,000 people on remand right now in England and Wales. If you could hunger strike your way out of prison there'd be no point sending anyone there in the first place.
There are 18,000 people on remand right now in England and Wales. If you could hunger strike your way out of prison there'd be no point sending anyone there in the first place.
I'm still waiting for someone of consequence on the British left to very politely say that hunger striking is not a viable tactic to get yourself released from prison or to change the UK's foreign policy, and that the activists doing it would be better off to stop rather than kill themselves.
January 12, 2026 at 11:00 PM
They've been in prison on remand for a very long time now. That doesn't happen unless there are charges brought and an application for post-charge bail is denied by the court.
January 12, 2026 at 10:40 PM
They've been in prison on remand for a very long time now. That doesn't happen unless there are charges brought and an application for post-charge bail is denied by the court.
Yes, variously with conspiracy to cause criminal damage and entering a prohibited place (RAF Brize Norton).
January 12, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Yes, variously with conspiracy to cause criminal damage and entering a prohibited place (RAF Brize Norton).
Ministers don't have the power to free them, even if they wanted to. The rest really is irrelevant, however true it may be.
January 12, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Ministers don't have the power to free them, even if they wanted to. The rest really is irrelevant, however true it may be.
Good luck with knowing how the system "really" works. It sounds like the hunger strikers have got about a week at most to get to the bottom of it and somehow persuade ministers through their magical secret process to tell the courts they're wrong.
January 12, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Good luck with knowing how the system "really" works. It sounds like the hunger strikers have got about a week at most to get to the bottom of it and somehow persuade ministers through their magical secret process to tell the courts they're wrong.
I had an adult library card when I was something like 8 years old.
Kemi Badenoch would probably oppose that too by shutting the whole library down.
Kemi Badenoch would probably oppose that too by shutting the whole library down.
January 12, 2026 at 9:19 PM
I had an adult library card when I was something like 8 years old.
Kemi Badenoch would probably oppose that too by shutting the whole library down.
Kemi Badenoch would probably oppose that too by shutting the whole library down.
The hunger strikers also have administrative demands (eg to be relocated to a different prison) which are within the powers of the prison service.
January 12, 2026 at 8:55 PM
The hunger strikers also have administrative demands (eg to be relocated to a different prison) which are within the powers of the prison service.
By "legal demands" I mean things that are within the powers of the courts, and by "political demands" I mean things that are within the powers of ministers and/or Parliament.
January 12, 2026 at 8:55 PM
By "legal demands" I mean things that are within the powers of the courts, and by "political demands" I mean things that are within the powers of ministers and/or Parliament.
You're getting the process the wrong way around.
If the CPS decides that they shouldn't get bail then they will oppose it in court. The court will then decide what happens.
The "government" in the sense of ministers has no say in it whatsoever.
If the CPS decides that they shouldn't get bail then they will oppose it in court. The court will then decide what happens.
The "government" in the sense of ministers has no say in it whatsoever.
January 12, 2026 at 8:54 PM
You're getting the process the wrong way around.
If the CPS decides that they shouldn't get bail then they will oppose it in court. The court will then decide what happens.
The "government" in the sense of ministers has no say in it whatsoever.
If the CPS decides that they shouldn't get bail then they will oppose it in court. The court will then decide what happens.
The "government" in the sense of ministers has no say in it whatsoever.
They went out to do direct action and allegedly did things in the process that are illegal in every context. Obviously the activists' motives are political but the specific offences they're charged with in themselves aren't.
January 12, 2026 at 8:51 PM
They went out to do direct action and allegedly did things in the process that are illegal in every context. Obviously the activists' motives are political but the specific offences they're charged with in themselves aren't.
All the way to the end of his right arm.
January 12, 2026 at 7:47 PM
All the way to the end of his right arm.
Grok/X can absolutely get in the bin, but I'd be very sceptical about how tools could be legislated against. We shall see.
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Grok/X can absolutely get in the bin, but I'd be very sceptical about how tools could be legislated against. We shall see.
You do understand that if you want to literally stake your life on making a demand, that demand has to be directed at someone in the position to agree to it. And here there is literally no-one. That's how the system is designed to work.
Political demands are in principle fine. Legal ones are not.
Political demands are in principle fine. Legal ones are not.
January 12, 2026 at 7:42 PM
You do understand that if you want to literally stake your life on making a demand, that demand has to be directed at someone in the position to agree to it. And here there is literally no-one. That's how the system is designed to work.
Political demands are in principle fine. Legal ones are not.
Political demands are in principle fine. Legal ones are not.
Bail is a decision for the courts and AFAIK there isn't even a prospect of making a further application for bail. Everyone stands up and says "Bail now!" but there is no effective way to make that happen. The courts won't do it. Ministers can't do it. What's the plan? There isn't one.
January 12, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Bail is a decision for the courts and AFAIK there isn't even a prospect of making a further application for bail. Everyone stands up and says "Bail now!" but there is no effective way to make that happen. The courts won't do it. Ministers can't do it. What's the plan? There isn't one.
Greta Thunberg got herself arrested. It got more (indirect) coverage of the hunger strike than the previous two months combined. And then the next day or so it disappeared.
January 12, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Greta Thunberg got herself arrested. It got more (indirect) coverage of the hunger strike than the previous two months combined. And then the next day or so it disappeared.
Sure. For a day. And then what?
January 12, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Sure. For a day. And then what?
And so what does the hunger strike add to the public sentiment over Israel/Palestine anyway?
Bear in mind that with the current (very imperfect) ceasefire a lot of the pressure is off anyway.
You're self-selecting into this discussion. So am I. But most people aren't close to being active.
Bear in mind that with the current (very imperfect) ceasefire a lot of the pressure is off anyway.
You're self-selecting into this discussion. So am I. But most people aren't close to being active.
January 12, 2026 at 7:35 PM
And so what does the hunger strike add to the public sentiment over Israel/Palestine anyway?
Bear in mind that with the current (very imperfect) ceasefire a lot of the pressure is off anyway.
You're self-selecting into this discussion. So am I. But most people aren't close to being active.
Bear in mind that with the current (very imperfect) ceasefire a lot of the pressure is off anyway.
You're self-selecting into this discussion. So am I. But most people aren't close to being active.
Snark is not an argument.
Why should the public in general care more about hunger strikers who have chosen to harm themselves rather than actual Palestinians in Palestine who, broadly speaking, have not chosen to be harmed by Israel? (Or by other Palestinians if you really want to go there.)
Why should the public in general care more about hunger strikers who have chosen to harm themselves rather than actual Palestinians in Palestine who, broadly speaking, have not chosen to be harmed by Israel? (Or by other Palestinians if you really want to go there.)
January 12, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Snark is not an argument.
Why should the public in general care more about hunger strikers who have chosen to harm themselves rather than actual Palestinians in Palestine who, broadly speaking, have not chosen to be harmed by Israel? (Or by other Palestinians if you really want to go there.)
Why should the public in general care more about hunger strikers who have chosen to harm themselves rather than actual Palestinians in Palestine who, broadly speaking, have not chosen to be harmed by Israel? (Or by other Palestinians if you really want to go there.)