Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, April 19, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids to commemorate Palestine Prisoners’ Day. The event began with a teach-in on the history of Prisoners’ Day and its importance to the national liberation struggle.

Afterwards, people began writing letters to two groups of recipients. First, letters were drafted to the Filton 18. This group of activists were arrested in Britain for targeting an Elbit Systems facility and have been subjected to solitary confinement and interrogation while they await trial.

When asked why it’s important to support international activists, Tamara Miller from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) stated: “The Filton 18 risked their lives and their futures for the Palestinian people. Anyone who is opposing genocide needs to know their story. They are just regular people, a welder, a pre-school teacher, a script writer, students and parents. Supporting them with letters of solidarity, love and hope is the least we can do.”

Letters were also written in support of the Nobel Peace Prize nominations of Jeff Halper, Issa Amro, and the California Hunger Strikers – the first two being Palestinian liberation activists and the later being a group of eight prisoners who, through use of hunger strikes in 2011 and 2013, made important strides for multinational prisoner unity within California Prisons and jails.

Palestine Prisoners Day has been celebrated every year on April 17 since 1974. It marks the date when Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first prisoner to be exchanged between Palestine and the occupation, was released.

As of April 2025, close to 10,000 political prisoners are being held in Israeli dungeons and 3500 more are being held on “administrative detention” – a blatant trick to detain people without charging them.

Asked as to why it’s important to honor Palestine Prisoner’s Day in the U.S., Michelle Ender from PSGR stated, “The experience of incarcerated Palestinians highlights the absolute horrors of the illegal Israeli occupation, but more importantly, showcases the unwavering resilience and strength of the resistance. From tent walls to prison walls, the Palestinian people continue to fight for their right to exist.”

“We have a lot to learn from the Palestinian prisoners’ struggle.” Ender continued. “The U.S. has the largest prisoner population in the entire world. It overwhelmingly imprisons Black and other nationally oppressed people while forcing them to work for close to no pay in private prisons. Now we’re seeing the Trump regime illegally sending folks like Kilmar Abrego Garcia to jail in El Salvador. We have to stand up for all political prisoners.”

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