The original group of hunger strikers at Princeton University decided to call off their radical form of protest 10 days after it became clear that the elite university would not yield to their demands any time soon.
The group said in a post on Princeton Divest Now’s Instagram Story on Sunday that 13 protesters had called off their hunger strike due to “health concerns.”
PDN also revealed that seven new hunger strikers had joined the group “in the tradition of the Rotary Hunger Strike” to replace the original 13 protesters. PDN reported that nine more people were taking part in a “solidarity fast.”
“Since then, the university has not really been able to accommodate our requests…”
Before the first wave of protests ended, a spokesperson for the group expressed disappointment that Princeton University had not agreed to their demands.
“Since we began our hunger strike, we have made a simple demand: meet and negotiate in good faith with universities to discuss disclosure and divestment from companies involved in the Israeli occupation. “We are seeking amnesty from legal and disciplinary charges for students arrested during peaceful protests.”
“Since then, the university has made it clear that it is unable to actually respond to our demands and still does not even acknowledge that genocide is occurring… “It’s a very simple request of ours,” he continued.
In addition to not eating, the demonstrators stayed outdoors on campus grounds. However, the group agreed not to pitch tents to avoid mass searches by law enforcement. As a result, protesters and their supporters had to set up improvised shelters with tarpaulins and umbrellas to keep out the rain.
“On the third day of Princeton’s hunger strike in the Gaza Strip, the temperature drops and the rain continues. [Princeton] Management still refuses to allow strikers to pitch tents, leaving them huddled under umbrellas, vulnerable and dangerous. Shameful and cruel,” a supporter of the group posted on X.
The reason for the hunger strike was to highlight food insecurity in the Gaza Strip. A large amount of aid has been delivered to Gaza, but it is being undermined by Hamas stealing the supplies and reselling them at inflated prices. Hamas also took credit for attacking the Kerem Shalom border crossing, a key crossing point for humanitarian aid entering the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. As a result of the attacks, intersections were closed for varying periods of time, delaying aid to the combat zone.
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