Cllr Ilkay Cinko-Oner outside MP Dame Emily Thornberry’s office

A COUNCILLOR has gone on a 24-hour hunger strike in front of Islington South MP Dame Emily Thornberry’s office in solidarity with those refusing food in prison.

Cllr Ilkay Cinko-Oner said that the Islington South MP should be speaking out for the hunger striker in Pentonville Prison, who is on remand behind bars while awaiting trial for their participation in a Palestine Action intervention.

Kamran Ahmed was arrested in November 2024, accused of being involved in a break-in at Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence firm. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July this year.

Mr Ahmed has been on hunger strike for 37 days, and has been twice hospitalised. He and seven others are demanding that they be released on bail ahead of their trials. For Mr Ahmed, this is due to take place in June 2026, by which point he will have already spent 20 months behind bars. They are also calling for the right to a fair trial, the de-proscription of Palestine Action, and all Elbit sites to be closed.

Cllr Cinko-Oner told the Tribune that she had written to Dame Emily at the end of November asking her to intervene, but had not received a response. “She could raise it, she could show support, she could go and visit Kamran. She could sign the early day motion. She could say that these people should be released on bail,” the Laycock councillor said.

Cllr Cinko-Oner started her strike at 5am on Tuesday, and stood outside the office in Barnsbury Street for most of the day.

She said: “The protesters took non-violent action to stop the genocide. They said that there should be no weapons of mass destruction being sold to Israel. They attacked objects.

“Since when is attacking an object a terrorist act?”

Dame Emily declined to comment, but the Tribune understands she did later contact Cllr Cinko-Oner to say she shared concern for the wellbeing of the hunger strikers.